In this episode, Professor Jay Garfield and I explore Buddhist philosophy, Nagarjuna, emptiness, the two truths, no-self, compassion, and cross-cultural philosophy. We begin with his journey from logic and cognitive science into Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan epistemology, and his studies in India. Professor Garfield then explains the scale and diversity of Buddhist philosophy, including Theravada, Mahayana, Madhyamaka, Yogacara, Chinese Buddhism, Zen, and Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. We discuss Buddhis

In this episode, Professor Jon Abramowitz and I explore OCD, intrusive thoughts, compulsions, anxiety, uncertainty, reassurance, and exposure and response prevention. We discuss what OCD is, why it is much more than being tidy or washing your hands, and how intrusive thoughts can become distressing obsessions when they are treated as dangerous, meaningful, or morally important. Professor Abramowitz also explains why OCD often attaches itself to the areas of life people value most. We also discus

In this episode, Mr. Tim LeBon and I explore Stoicism, CBT, philosophical counselling, Stoic Week, and how ancient philosophy can be used practically in modern life. We discuss his work as a psychotherapist and CBT therapist, his involvement in Modern Stoicism, and the origins of Stoic Week as an experiment in trying Stoic exercises for everyday life. Mr. LeBon explains Stoicism as a philosophy of living well through virtue, wisdom, courage, self-control, justice, Stoic mindfulness, and learning

In this episode, Professor Harry Reis and I explore love, relationships, intimacy, listening, vulnerability, attachment, loneliness, and his new book How to Feel Loved. We discuss the difference between being loved and feeling loved, why relationships are central to happiness and meaning, and why trying to “make” someone love you is usually the wrong approach. Instead, we explore how curiosity, listening, compassion, and warm conversation can create a stronger sense of connection between people.

In this episode, Professor William B. Irvine and I explore thinking, open-mindedness, Stoicism, audience capture, echo chambers, and how to become more reasonable in unreasonable times. We discuss his journey into philosophy, his work on thinking more and better, and how online platforms can tempt creators to chase numbers rather than produce genuinely valuable work. We also discuss how to choose better information sources, avoid intellectual blind spots, listen to critics, and recognise contrad

In this episode, Professor Karl Friston and I explore brain imaging, dynamic causal modelling, statistical parametric mapping, computational psychiatry, and selfhood through active inference. We discuss how functional brain imaging works, how it helps reveal specialised brain regions, and how researchers study the connectivity and causal interactions between different parts of the brain. Professor Friston also explains dynamic causal modelling, Bayesian model comparison, and how scientists test