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

    FEB 2

    🎙️#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

    1h 27m
  2. #9 Layman Pascal - Metashamanic Nietzsche

    JAN 19

    #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 min
  3. #8 Stefano Carpani: Jungians vs. Post-Jungians vs. Neo-Jungians

    JAN 12

    #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

    1h 8m
  4. #7Jon Mills: The Psychology Behind Our Self-Destructive Civilisation

    12/02/2025

    #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 min
  5. #6 PF Jung: What is Enlightened Centrism

    11/18/2025

    #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

    1h 28m

  6. 11/02/2025

    #5 Brendan Graham Dempsey: Can We Scientifically Measure Worldviews?

    Brendan Graham Dempsey is a metatheory researcher at the Institute of Applied Metatheory and host of the Metamodern Meaning podcast. His work bridges evolutionary theory, developmental psychology, and worldview studies, bringing empirical rigour to questions about how human consciousness and culture evolve. His latest book, Psyche and Symbolic Learning, is the second in a planned ten-volume series exploring these themes through the lens of hierarchical complexity and neo-Piagetian developmental frameworks. You can find Brendan’s work at: Metamodern Meaning podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@BrendanGrahamDempsey Brendan’s Substack: https://brendangrahamdempsey.substack.com/ Brendan’s website: https://www.brendangrahamdempsey.com/ Our previous chats: Philosophy Wisdom and Metamodernism Critiquing Metamodernism In this conversation, Brendan introduces me to the ambitious world of metatheory – an attempt to create a unified, coherent understanding of all human knowledge by bridging disciplines from neuroscience to sociology to the humanities. We explore his new role researching worldviews empirically at the Institute of Applied Metatheory, where he’s working to bring scientific rigour to questions that have long been speculative: Can we measure the complexity of worldviews? Do cultures develop through predictable stages? How complex is the Bible compared to Homer, or a text message to your mam? We dive deep into hierarchical complexity, a psychological framework that quantifies the sophistication of thinking across domains and time periods. Brendan shares fascinating research comparing the cognitive complexity of ancient religious texts, from early biblical narratives to the Epic of Gilgamesh, revealing how literacy transforms meaning-making structures. We discuss the difference between metatheory and interdisciplinary work, why spiral dynamics isn’t quite a metatheory, and how this research programme aims to give metamodernism and integral theory the empirical grounding they’ve long needed. This is a conversation for those curious about the big questions: How does all human knowledge fit together? Can we study worldviews scientifically? And what does it mean to truly understand complexity? ⏳ Timestamps 00:00 James’s Intro 01:30 Brendan’s new role at the Institute of Applied Metatheory 03:24 What is metatheory? Situating theories within a bigger picture 06:05 Cognitive science vs. metatheory: Where are the edges? 07:37 Consilience and the unified theory of knowledge 10:27 What is the “normal science” of metatheory? 15:14 Applying metatheory: From integral medicine to worldview research 20:48 Systematising worldview terminology: Paradigms, gestalts, and meaning-making structures 23:03 Measuring cognitive complexity in texts 24:11 Can we validate developmental claims empirically? 25:08 Hierarchical complexity and neo-Piagetian psychology 28:30 Dynamic skill theory: Why you’re not “at a stage” 32:30 What does complexity mean? Is it like IQ? 33:00 Complexity as a scale of task performance, not hardware 35:05 Skill webs and context-dependent performance 37:12 Measuring texts: From texting your mam to ancient scriptures 42:14 Scoring the Bible: Early narratives vs. scribal texts 44:43 The documentary hypothesis and complexity differences in biblical sources 45:09 Literacy’s impact: Hunter-gatherer texts vs. scribal complexity 46:24 Homer, Gilgamesh, and the wisdom of Ptahhotep: Comparing ancient complexity 49:48 Translation challenges in measuring ancient texts 56:49 Education, zip codes, and complexity gaps 59:28 Why developmental models are more optimistic than IQ 1:04:24 Metatheory and metamodernism: How they relate 1:03:15 Testing metamodern and integral claims about worldview development 1:04:24 Metatheory and metamodernism: How they relate 1:10:21 Integral theory and the metamodern landscape 1:12:03 Guest recommendations: Layman Pascal and Nick Headland 1:14:08 Where to find Brendan

    1h 15m

  7. 10/27/2025

    #4 Greg Dember: Metamodernism and the Defence of Interiority

    "The protection of interiority is the central motivation of Metamodernism." So says Greg Dember, a Seattle-based musician, songwriter and independent researcher in Metamodernism. As the co-founder of the What Is Metamodern? website with Linda Ceriello, PhD, Greg’s writing and podcast appearances speaking on metamodernism have helped popularize the terminology outside of academic discourse through accessible writing. He is the author of Say Hello To Metamodernism!: Understanding Today’s Culture of Ironesty, Felt Experience, and Empathic Reflexivity (2024 Exact Rush). He is also a co-editor of the forthcoming multi-author volume, My Impossible Soul: The Metamodern Music of Sufjan Stevens (Bloomsbury/Lexington). He holds a BA (1987) from Yale University. ____________ Greg and Linda's Metamodern site - https://www.whatismetamodern.com Greg's article on the 11 methods of Metamodernism - https://medium.com/what-is-metamodern/after-postmodernism-eleven-metamodern-methods-in-the-arts-767f7b646cae Greg's book on Metamodernism - https://www.amazon.com/Say-Hello-Metamodernism-Understanding-Reflexivity/dp/B0DHGFKZ8W/ __________ In this conversation, I sit down with Greg to explore metamodernism as the cultural backdrop that's emerged since roughly 2000, taking over from postmodernism's ironic detachment. We discuss how metamodernism oscillates between modern earnestness and postmodern irony to defend the significance of interiority and felt experience. Greg introduces his framework of 11 metamodern methods—including empathic reflexivity and the double frame—and we examine how artists like the Daniels (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Wes Anderson, Bo Burnham, and even The Beatles navigate this territory. The conversation ranges from David Letterman's evolution to Don Quixote as a proto-metamodern text, exploring how this sensibility has spread from indie niches into mainstream culture, and what it means for how we make and experience art today. _____________ ⏳Timestamps 0:00 Episode Intro2:26 Greg's current work: Sufjan Stevens book3:26 What is metamodernism? Cultural backdrop since 20104:50 From modernism to postmodernism to metamodernism7:36 David Letterman: from postmodern irony to Metamodern maturity10:32 The oscillation between modern and postmodern attributes12:26 Jimmy Fallon and the trend toward sincere enthusiasm15:56 Felt experience vs. detached observation19:26 Bo Burnham's Metamodern masterpiece "Inside"24:31 Rick Glassman and the Dance of Irony25:26 The new sincerity and its relationship to metamodernism28:26 Defending interiority as Metamodernism's central motivation31:38 From indie niches to mainstream: Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift33:29 Everything Everywhere All At Once: metamodernism as hell38:26 Wes Anderson and the metamodern sensibility39:28 The 11 metamodern methods framework40:31 Method #1: Empathic reflexivity40:56 Method #2: Oscillation between modern/postmodern dualities41:24 Method #3: The double frame (Raoul Eshelman)44:26 Quirky as a metamodern aesthetic46:26 Irony vs. cynicism: an important distinction49:26 Don Quixote as proto-metamodern?53:26 History rhymes: Shakespeare, Nietzsche, and cultural crossroads57:26 Exploring quirky and other metamodern methods59:39 Play, playfulness, and Wes Anderson1:01:01 Method #4: Meta-cute1:01:46 Moonrise Kingdom and Fantastic Mr. Fox as meta-cute1:03:56 Protecting interiority: the motivation behind metamodern art1:04:56 Metamodernism as reclaiming something eternally human1:06:26 Sufjan Stevens and the Illinois album1:07:16 Proto-metamodern vs. actually metamodern: the key distinction1:08:26 The Metamodern "Rocky Racoon"1:12:29 The Proto Metamodern Morrissey and The Smiths1:14:43 Guest recommendation: Linda Ceriello1:14:58 Where to find Greg's work

    1h 16m
  8. Erik Goodwyn: Dreams, Metaphor and Fantasy Writing

    10/20/2025

    Erik Goodwyn: Dreams, Metaphor and Fantasy Writing

    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 as well as dozens of academic papers he has written books on the neurobiology of the gods, dreams, and archetypes, and this year published his first fantasy novel, King of the Forgotten Darkness, which won the Literary Titan Golden Book Award. You can find Erik's work at:Website: https://erikgoodwyn.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theimaginarium In this conversation, I sit down with Erik to explore the neuroscience of dreams and their connection to creativity, trauma, and healing. We dive deep into how the default mode network operates during dreaming, why dreams create "as if" narratives to help us make sense of our lives, and how the psyche uses metaphor to consolidate memory, regulate emotions, and plan for the future. Erik shares fascinating insights from his clinical work, including how trauma dreams evolve during the healing process and why some dreams seem to bookend creative projects. We also venture into the realm of fantasy literature, discussing how writers like Tolkien and Sanderson use fantastical elements to tell deeply human stories about real lived experiences. ⏳Timestamps00:00 James's Intro01:31 Beginning: Wyoming, Mountain Time, and writing fantasy03:24 Architects vs. Gardeners: Erik's writing process08:16 The divine child archetype in therapy dreams09:13 "as if": how dreams create meaning through metaphor11:58 Dreams in crisis mode vs. exploratory mode (PTSD example)15:08 Memory consolidation and forward planning in dreams16:37 The default mode network during dreaming19:32 Creativity and the default mode network24:19 Dream sequences: Exploration of themes across multiple dreams29:27 The body's natural healing process through dreams40:58 Ernest Hartman and contextualizing metaphors42:14 What is fantasy really about? Beyond escapism43:01 Tolkien's Lord of the Rings as meditation on the problem of evil43:04 Evil and grace in Middle-earth45:29 Morgoth, Sauron, and the continuation of evil46:37 Guest recommendation: Stefano Carpani47:19 Where to find Erik

    49 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    The Living Philosophy
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    95
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Living Philosophy
  • Show Website
    The Living Philosophy

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