Ancient Futures

Daniel Simpson
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Timeless wisdom for modern dilemmas, combining yoga philosophy, practical insight and critical thinking. Hosted by Daniel Simpson. ancientfutures.substack.com

  1. The Odyssey Mindset – Sam Akbar

    17 juni

    The Odyssey Mindset – Sam Akbar

    What might we learn about mental resilience from ancient Greek mythology? 💭 Sam Akbar is a clinical psychologist and Oxford-trained classicist. Her new book is The Odyssey Mindset, which explores timeless guidance from Homer’s epic on finding purpose and strength in the face of life’s challenges. Sam’s speciality is trauma. She’s worked with refugees who’ve fled torture, war and sexual violence, and she draws on that experience to address a general audience with practical suggestions for overcoming difficulties. Together, we consider how Odysseus’s long journey home can be read as a metaphor for seeking security. We also discuss how it helps to have mentors, perhaps including therapists, and to identify core values with which one aligns. Along the way, we talk about this trailer for Christopher Nolan’s new Odyssey movie, as well as the translation by Emily Wilson that Sam recommends. -- 💡 To explore yogic wisdom and critical thinking, join me on The Path of Knowledge 🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

    1 tim 3 min
  2. Building Bridges – Daniel Simpson

    3 juni

    Building Bridges – Daniel Simpson

    What if yoga meant technology, jihad or sex with multiple partners? 😳 That’s just a sample of the thought-provoking papers presented in Paris at the Yoga Darśana Yoga Sādhana conference last week. This podcast shares a few reflections on what was discussed, plus my own presentation on misleading books that manipulate readers to generate sales (slides available here). Expanding on a range of conversations across other panels, I also outline some possible responses to broader concerns about misinformation. In the process, I consider ways to bridge gaps between scholars, yoga teachers and practitioners, journalists, activists and the general public. Recordings of some keynote presentations will be uploaded here via the YouTube channel of the SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies. I also referenced a talk about fascist yogis by Emily Ward, which is available here. Meanwhile, my critical reviews of Shyam Ranganathan’s and Stewart Home’s books are here and here. The next YDYS conference will be held in Finland in 2028. To stay informed about plans, join the mailing list here at yogaresearch.org, where you can also find resources from scholars. And for more thoughts from me, see this earlier episode. -- 💡 For a mix of scholarly and practical insights, join me on The Path of Knowledge 🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

    1 tim 1 min
  3. Yiddishland – David Mazower

    20 maj

    Yiddishland – David Mazower

    How might we be inspired by a worldwide community of Yiddish-speaking Jews, whose cultural identity was broadly internationalist? David Mazower is the author of Yiddish: A Global Culture, which accompanies an exhibit he curated at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. Our conversation explores the heritage and influence of Yiddish – the everyday language of East European Jews, which became a diaspora lingua franca and the medium for bold creativity, from avant-garde art and subversive writing to radical politics that shaped socialist and anarchist movements. David’s great-grandfather, Sholem Asch, was a pioneering Yiddishist writer and another of his ancestors – his father’s father Max – was a revolutionary in tsarist Russia, becoming involved with a socialist party called the Bund, whose deeply humanistic perspective has since been marginalised. As David observes, the impact of the Bund is now the focus of a book by Molly Crabapple (titled Here Where We Live is Our Country). And an outing of London Bundists from the early 1900s features on the cover of David’s book. Before joining the Yiddish Book Center as its research bibliographer and editorial director, David was a senior journalist with BBC World News and deputy curator of the Jewish Museum London. He writes for a range of publications on topics from Yiddish theatre and popular culture to British Jewish history. Selected highlights from the exhibit that accompanies his book are available here. There’s also a digital guide via the Bloomberg Connects app (see here for details). -- 🔭 For a comprehensive guide to yogic wisdom, join me on The Path of Knowledge 🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

    1 tim 10 min
  4. Ethics and Yoga – Brett Parris

    6 maj

    Ethics and Yoga – Brett Parris

    What defines the right thing to do, and how helpful is yoga in doing it? 🤔 Yogic traditions present different frameworks for ethical conduct, with varying degrees of engagement in worldly affairs. If their aim is to promote liberation, can they also support human rights? Might ideas about the highest good, or a self in all beings, provide orientation? If so, which philosophy seems the best fit? Brett Parris explored these themes – among many others – for a doctorate from Oxford. A book based on his thesis, which was titled Yogic Metaethics: Comparing Patañjali’s Yoga, Nondual Śaivism, and Vedānta, is now in the works, and he recently presented his findings here. Together, we discuss how key teachings relate to modern challenges. At one point, I quote this line by the sceptical scholar Agehananda Bharati (from his book The Light at the Center): “You don’t learn ethical behavior through yoga and meditation any more than you learn loving your neighbors by playing poker or cello.” 🎙️ Thanks to Gerard Harris for help with the audio. Gerard also wrote the podcast music – more of his productions are uploaded here. 🧘‍♂️ To explore yogic teachings in depth, join me online for The Path of Knowledge 🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

    1 tim 6 min
  5. Propagandananda? – Ian Alexander

    22 apr.

    Propagandananda? – Ian Alexander

    How reliable are articles on yoga by contributors to Wikipedia? 🤷‍♂️ More than they used to be, thanks to the input of Ian Alexander, who’s personally edited between a third and half of them. Many meet the criteria for what the free encyclopaedia calls a “good article” – combining clear and neutral writing with verifiable sourcing and broad coverage. For the 25 years since Wikipedia launched, it’s been dependent on the work of volunteers. In an age of hallucinating chatbots, this human commitment is all the more striking. Our conversation explores how it works, why Ian got involved and where the yoga WikiProject might go from here. We also talk about other things – from pages on the writings of Tolkien to Swami Propagandananda, a nickname for Sivananda that Ian included in one of his edits. He’s a longstanding yoga practitioner, as well as writing books about nature and software engineering. For more on Wikipedia, and the principles of trust it depends on, see this book by founder Jimmy Wales – thanks to Dominik Wujastyk for the recommendation. -- 🤿 For an immersive perspective on yogic traditions, join The Path of Knowledge 🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

    1 tim
  6. Human Technology – Dan Turello

    8 apr.

    Human Technology – Dan Turello

    What does it mean to be human in the age of AI? 🤖 How old is the fear of machines taking over? What might we learn about how to respond from previous examples? Is technology dehumanising or can it also be liberating? How could philosophy expand our understanding of its potential? Dan Turello is a cultural historian, photographer and author. His new book Connection: How Technology Can Make Us Better Humans explores a middle way between nostalgia and utopianism, focusing closely on social dimensions. Together, we consider both the perils and the promise of technology, drawing inspiration from a range of perspectives – including those of Christian mystics, contemporary philosophers, yogic traditions and Battlestar Galactica. An excerpt from Dan’s book was recently published by the New Yorker. He holds a PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures from Harvard and is a Fellow at the Center for the Future of Mind, AI & Society at Florida Atlantic University. -- 📖 To explore the evolution of yogic wisdom, join me on The Path of Knowledge 🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

    1 tim 11 min
  7. Ways of Seeing – Daniel Simpson

    25 mars

    Ways of Seeing – Daniel Simpson

    How do we know what we think we know? Are our opinions our own, or are they conditioned by external influences? What helps to balance opposing views? How important are such questions to yoga – both philosophically and practically? This podcast explores some of the voices in my head. It was inspired by a recent conversation about the Yoga Sūtra on my year-long course, The Path of Knowledge. There are also ingredients from Gavin Flood, a colleague at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, plus an essay on tensions between scholars and practitioners. That article cites writing by C. W. Huntington, Jr. – particularly Māyā, a novel he describes as “a first person narrative rooted in the literary tradition of Henry Miller, Thomas Merton, Jack Kerouac, and Carlos Castaneda”, and his last book, What I Don’t Know About Death. It also draws on Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (about which more here, in a BBC broadcast). 🗣️ P.S. the discussion I mention in the podcast introduction is available here. –– 🤩 Join us on The Path of Knowledge to explore yogic wisdom – early-bird rates end April 1. 🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

    55 min
  8. Beyond McMindfulness – Ron Purser

    11 mars

    Beyond McMindfulness – Ron Purser

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit ancientfutures.substack.com If mindfulness has drawbacks, what’s the alternative? 🤔 Ron Purser is perhaps best known as the author of McMindfulness, critiquing the movement as “capitalist spirituality”. His latest book Mind Space is radical in other ways. It considers how to meditate without being a meditator – inspired by the writings of Tarthang Tulku, a Tibetan Buddhist lama. As Ron sees it, one problem with mindfulness is its view of the self as an “inner manager”. Striving to control things narrows the focus to coping with stress, which can overlook its causes. By contrast, Mind Space dismantles the manager to see past self-centredness. We discuss how that works, and revisit questions Ron raised in McMindfulness, particularly regarding the influence of Jon Kabat–Zinn. Ron is a professor of management at San Francisco State University. He teaches courses at Dharma College, hosts The Mindful Cranks podcast and contributes to various media. Recent highlights include an interview with the New Yorker and a takedown of life coaching for Current Affairs magazine. -- 💭 Join us on The Path of Knowledge for a mix of yogic wisdom and critical thinking. 🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated!

    32 min
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Om

Timeless wisdom for modern dilemmas, combining yoga philosophy, practical insight and critical thinking. Hosted by Daniel Simpson. ancientfutures.substack.com

Information

  • Skapad av
    Daniel Simpson
  • Aktiva år
    2023 - 2026
  • Avsnitt
    87
  • Åldersgräns
    Barnvänligt
  • Copyright
    © Daniel Simpson
  • Programmets webbplats
    Ancient Futures

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