What's the Functionality of Religion?

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Lux: I wonder if like my two hands have different because there's a different experience to be picking up something with my right hand and then my left hand. This is a really important question in the cognitive science of the self. Does that hemispheric difference mean you're multiple or you actually have a singular self? Lux: Oh, so it's important to understand how many cells are there? Yes, I think so. But that's just like a quirk of evolution. It's not it surely can be fundamental to cognition having multiple cells or a singular self.

John Vervaeke is a psychologist and cognitive scientist at University of Toronto. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– Mizzen+Main: https://mizzenandmain.com and use code LEX to get $35 off
– InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/lex to get 20% off
– Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/lex to get special savings
– Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/lex to get 1 month of fish oil
– Onnit: https://lexfridman.com/onnit to get up to 10% off

EPISODE LINKS:
John’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/johnvervaeke
John’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john
John’s Facebook: https://facebook.com/VervaekeJohn
John’s Website: https://johnvervaeke.com
Books mentioned:
Flow: https://amzn.to/3cQDby9
On Bullshit: https://amzn.to/3PZDvYW
The Denial of Death: https://amzn.to/3KsIctp

PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman
YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips

SUPPORT & CONNECT:
– Check out the sponsors above, it’s the best way to support this podcast
– Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman
– Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:03) – Meaning
(27:17) – Consciousness
(36:17) – Relevance realization
(47:40) – Wisdom
(54:54) – Truth
(59:38) – Reality
(1:11:59) – Meaning crisis
(1:35:27) – Religion
(1:43:17) – Nontheism
(1:58:26) – Distributed cognition
(2:16:37) – Flow
(2:36:35) – Psychedelics
(2:45:03) – Marxism and Nazism
(2:57:08) – Evil
(3:01:19) – Powerful ideas
(3:08:10) – Advice for young people