Show 476: Sam Harris

Sam Harris on Spirituality, Minus Religion or God

Audio here!

This Saturday, host Matthew LaClair speaks with neuroscientist, philosopher, and author Sam Harris on his upcoming book, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion.  Mr. Harris is the author of books including Letter to a Christian Nation, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, and the NY Times bestseller The End of Faith. He is also cofounder and CEO of Project Reason, “a nonprofit foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society.” Mr. Harris’ new book, Waking Up, is a personal, rational, and scientific exploration of the benefits of meditation, without the myths, stories, and theistic assumptions typically attached to such practices.  Throughout the book, Harris challenges the notion of “self,” arguing that such a feeling is an illusion, rather than the only state of being conscious.  It is both an attempt to better understand the nature of being, and to explore ways in which we may improve the quality of our lives.

Show 380: “The Willpower Instinct” w/ Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D

The Willpower Instinct w/ Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.

Audio here!

It was an honor to have on Kelly McGonigal, PhD, a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, and a leading expert on the mind-body relationship. She teaches for the School of Medicine’s Health Improvement Program and is a senior teacher/consultant for the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

Kelly is a friend of the show, we interviewed her in 2010 for her book Yoga For Pain Relief, which we featured as a premium in one of our fund drive episodes.

Her new book, The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It, is just out and explores cutting-edge research on motivation, temptation, and addiction, as well as what it takes to make a successful change.

It’s always a thrill to get to poke around the intellect of someone so smart, who is writing and teaching about how we can live better and more humanely. Enjoy!