Re-Enchantment

Daniel speaks with Professor David Potter about his new book which looks at five periods of major historical change to better understand when and where the next big change might come from.

What does it take to free-climb El Capitan? What does it take to survive a Vietnamese POW camp? How do seemingly regular people rise above and beyond to achieve seemingly impossible things? In this episode, I explore some of the psychology of setting fantastically audacious goals—and achieving them.

The optimal solution requires subtraction and then addition. But our brains have an unusually difficult time with that first step. It's easier for a doctor to add a medication than figure out which to take away. It's easier for governments to add a new law than nullifying several old ones. It often takes less brain power to add another storage unit for our extra stuff than sorting through it and figuring out what's really valuable and what to throw away. Professor Leidy Klotz has spent years studying the pscychology of subtraction and on this episode, he shares a positive take on it.

We used to sit around fires and tell epic stories of mythic heroes. Today, we gather around TV and computer screen to watch (or play) modern day epics and myths. Whether it's the noble Jedi knights defending the Republic, wise Gandalf fighting for Middle Earth, or Patrick Stewart bringing diplomacy to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, these fictional figures play an important role in our mental and moral lives. When we try to emulate our heroes, sometimes the first person that comes to mind is a fictional one. ~Join me on Zoom Sunday Aug 15 at 1pm for a live recording and follow-up discussion of the next episode: "How to do Impossible Things." Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8530544549?pwd=SXppL2M0RytMcXVOWjBleVN3Y0hUdz09

Yes, there is an answer. No, it's not 42.

Despite our access to information (or because of it?) bad ideas spread faster than ever. Andy Norman's new book, Mental Immunity, seeks to give readers tools to strengthen their mental immunity so they're less likely to become unwitting hosts to self-perpetuating and potentially harmful ideas. Buy Mental Immunity and help support the how by going to - https://bookshop.org/shop/reenchantment

This episode is about the difference between Jewish Kabbalah and the hermetic Kabbalah. Daniel and Mike talk about why this difference matters and how can understanding these relatively obscure traditions show us how to create rich ways of interpreting—and re-interpreting—our world.

Religious traditions often promise the immortality of the soul. More recently, technology has been promising the immortality of the mind. But some philosophers believe that immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be. Specifically, they argue that if nothing can be lost, then nothing really matters. They say it's our finitude—not our immortality—that makes life worth living. Mike Myers and Daniel Shkolnik delve into what immortality might be like and whether it's something worth wanting.

Mike Myers is back on again. We kick off the episode with words from Maynard James Keenan, the lead sing of Tool: "If you don't believe in magic on some level, your art probably sucks." It's a bold claim, but it speaks to the intersection (and equivalence?) of art and magic.And listen to Mike's new album on Spotify by searching "Cracks in the Real" or by following this link: https://open.spotify.com/album/7zQyJitKz7WRtSLUr6PCA3?si=EKCVOcbFSnekJ3UUKBAjCg

Jeffery Kripal is a religious studies professor at Rice University and he studies everything from UFO encounters to Tantra to Christian homoeroticism. I deeply enjoyed reading his ideas in his book "Secret Body"—a book about all his other books.

Ezra Bookman, ritual designer and founder of Ritualist, talks about his view on the seven components of ritual and the ethics of creating ritual spaces in corporate settings.

Father Adam Bucko is a committed voice in the movement for the renewal of Christian Contemplative Spirituality and the growing New Monastic movement. My conversation with him was one of my favorite from the Open Div Summit and I'm happy to share it with you here.You can access around 70 pre-recorded conversations with academics, thought leaders, and practitioners by searching "Open Div Summit" on Spotify or Anchor.fm.

This episode is dedicated to the Open Div Summit! The summit is happening Thursday Feb 25th - Sunday Feb 28th. To help make sense of the many amazing speakers and live events we've organized, I've decided to list some of my favorite pre-recorded talks and the live events I'm looking forward to most. Register for free and view the full schedule for yourself at summit.opendiv.org — I'll see you there!

This episode is an exclusive sneak-peak at the Open Div Summit I'm co-hosting at the end of this month, Feb 25-28th. Register for the summit by going to Summit.OpenDiv.org — it's free and welcoming to those of any faith and no-faith.

How does a two-millennia old myth find relevance in the modern age? Gnosticism can be interpreted as both a critique of an overly simplistic, human-like God, and an empowering story about our own participation in the ongoing creation of reality.

Gnosticism was believed to have been lost to time—a relic of history—until two boys stumbled upon a hidden library in the desert. Enter into the Nag Hammadi Library, where the scrolls are kept in jugs, where God is not necessarily good, and where Jesus might have something to say about gender fluidity. Welcome to the esoteric world of the gnostics.

This episode is about the life of Genya Shkolnik, my grandmother. This is the first in a new series of episodes about "lives well-lived." I sat down with my mother and sister to talk about her story, her character, and her legacy.

A bar can be a sacred place. So can an alley, or a mountaintop, or an abandoned power plant. As people increasingly search for spiritual fulfillment outside the walls of religion, we need a new way of thinking about what constitutes sacred space. Daniel explores how we might utilize our personal sense of the sacred to identify "natural temples" in the world around us.

The U.S. election may be over but healing the division and rancor in the country will take years. Anthony Magnabosco uses a dialogue technique called Street Epistemology to get people to think more carefully about how they came to know what they know. He uses this technique to soften—or even reverse—peoples' deeply held beliefs about religion, politics, or social issues, while building genuine mutual respect.

Is communism religious in nature? Is capitalism? The line between ideology and religion is more porous than it might first seem. Daniel talks with Nathan Robinson, editor of Current Affairs magazine, about how ideological movements come to resemble religious movements even when they don't have—or are explicitly against—supernatural worldviews.

Pluralism can be difficult. Sometimes, it might seem impossible. But as the world globalizes, we must learn to coexist in increasingly complex and even paradoxical communities. Daniel speaks with long-time friend and christian minister Christian Watkins about coexistence in both a religious and political context.

Daniel talks with Chris Stedman about his new book, "IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives." When we cross the thin glass screen of our digital devices do we enter an artificial realm, or is the online world an authentic part of reality? — Find the show notes at: https://www.reenchantmentpod.com/post/show-notes-what-is-real-chris-stedman

Daniel speaks with Bart Campolo about how to create a congregation of nonbelievers. Bart is a former Evangelical preacher who has since left his faith. He is now the Humanist chaplain at the University of Cincinnati and the founder of the Humanist congregation, Cincinnati Caravan.—Find the links mentioned in this podcast at: https://www.reenchantmentpod.com/post/show-notes-let-s-admit-we-liked-church-bart-campolo

Daniel speaks with Nick Fish, the president of American Atheists, about how he's changing the narrative around atheism using real-life stories of nonbelievers.— Sign up for action alerts about how you can get involved: https://www.atheists.org/act/— See and follow results from the Secular Survey here: https://www.secularsurvey.org/— Find a partner or affiliate group to join near you: https://www.atheists.org/activism/affiliates/

Mystical experiences are not supernatural events but psychological ones. Daniel speaks with Professor Eric Steinhart about how atheists understand and interpret mystical experiences as well as prominent nonbelievers who have written and spoken about these extraordinary states.—Support the show at patreon.com/reenchantment

Carl Sagan was a beloved popularizer of science. His daughter, Sasha Sagan, carries on his legacy with "For Small Creatures Such As We," a book that gives practical ideas for how to live out the humane and science-driven values her father advocated in his lifetime.—Re-Enchantment is an affiliate of Bookshop. If you buy through the link below, 10% of the proceeds will go toward supporting the podcast: https://bookshop.org/shop/reenchantment—Support Durado Brooks and pre-order "Something In The Water" by going to the link below: http://kck.st/3jYDqVU

New Atheism was a movement that spanned from roughly 2001 to 2013. It was characterized by an aggressive online debate style that often satirized religions, idolized science, and made many enemies along the way. New Atheists became the stereotype of what it meant to be an “atheist.” Mike and I discuss the way the movement rose to prominence, why it fell apart, and what we can learn from New Atheism moving forward.Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/reenchantment

Anton Faynberg and I had very similar upbringings but chose very different spiritual paths. He is a believing Christian in the Anglican tradition. I am a secular Humanist. We don't always agree, but we find both common ground and conflict as we discuss our respective beliefs.To help support the show, go to the Patreon page: patreon.com/reenchantment

Einstein's ideas about religion have often been misunderstood. He neither believed in God nor was he an atheist. In this episode, Lecco Morris and I discuss the complex beliefs of the most famous physicists of all time. We delve into his Humanism, his commitment to pacifism, and his humbleness before the enduring mysteries of our universe. Einstein, the titan of science, was also a wise and caring man. He knew how far the circle of his knowledge extended and never claimed to see beyond. Patreon Membership — To help support me and this show, please become a member at: https://www.patreon.com/reenchantment

I speak with Kythe Heller about mysticism, both old and modern, and how it intersects with art. We delve into the activism and writing of 13th century mystic Marguerite Porete, the word-weaving of the Chilean poet Cecilia Vicuña, and the sacred music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.

I speak with Bob Faw about how positive psychology can help Humanists develop a rich and flourishing internal life. Religions give people ways to feel ecstatic, empathetic, humble, or part of a group. Modern psychology is piecing together what behaviors we can introduce into our lives to go beyond feeling "OK" and instead feel truly connected and wholly alive.

On this episode I talk with Mike Myers about the occult as "kayfabe"—a term from professional wrestling that's all about suspending disbelief. Occultism comprises many different practices such as ritual magic, tarot card reading, and more, and would seem to be the furthest possible thing from a skeptical worldview. But Mike is both a skeptic and an occultist. In this episode we talk about how that's possible and what other nonbelievers might gain from being "kayfabe occultists."

Daniel interviews Casper ter Kuile about his new book, "The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices." — We talk about the epidemic of loneliness, sacred movies, and why Casper loves singing to cows.Buy the book and learn more about Casper on his website https://www.caspertk.com/#order

Professor Anthony Kronman writes that we live in "a powerful but pointless age." Science gives us awesome knowledge and abilities, but it may sabotage something just as important: our sense of significance.You can buy Professor Kronman's book, "Education's End" here https://www.amazon.com/Educations-End-Colleges-Universities-Meaning/dp/0300143141

I interview my friend and roommate Owen Cook about why we - two atheists - have spent so much time studying religion. We talk about Buddhism, gnosticism, our origin story as roommates, and about "doing dishes." Though maybe not the kind of dishes you're thinking of.

Daniel Lev Shkolnik is a Humanist looking for deeper, more meaningful ways to live as an atheist. Each week, he dives into ancient wisdom traditions and modern psychology to find fresh ways of making sense of our place in the universe. Daniel talks with thought leaders, both secular and religious, about how to forge meaning in the 21st century. He honestly explores complex questions about belief and science and gives listeners life-affirming tools and thought-provoking ideas to help them find wonder in a secular age. New episodes on Wednesday mornings.