Understanding Taoism with Jason Gregory

12 snips

Dec 17, 2025

In this enlightening conversation, Jason Gregory, an author and scholar of Taoism, shares profound insights on the essence of Taoist philosophy and its critique of social conditioning. He highlights the intersection of Taoism with other traditions like Buddhism and Confucianism, discussing concepts such as wu wei and effortless action. Gregory delves into the significance of aimless wandering and inner alchemy as modern practices. He also contrasts Taoist views of natural goodness with Western perspectives and explores the balance of yin and yang.

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INSIGHT

Taoism Opposes Social Conditioning

Taoism critiques social conditioning and urges returning to our innate, uncarved nature.
Lao Tzu opposed Confucian imposition that carves people into roles and stops natural spontaneity.

INSIGHT

East–West Cognitive Balance

Eastern traditions show a balance between collectivist and individualist tendencies shaped by subsistence modes.
Jason suggests Taoism helps bridge individualism and collectivism in modern life.

ANECDOTE

Lao Tzu's Departure Legend

Jason recounts the legend of Lao Tzu leaving China and writing the Tao Te Ching at the border.
The story frames the text as both wisdom and a critique of society's pressures.

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Understanding Taoism with Jason Gregory

Jason Gregory is a student of the world’s spiritual traditions. He is the author of The Science and Practice of Humility. Jason Gregory is an author, philosopher, and teacher whose work draws from Eastern philosophy, comparative religion, psychology, cognitive science, metaphysics, and ancient cultures, bridging timeless wisdom with contemporary understanding.

Jason Gregory explores the essence of Taoism, emphasizing its critique of social conditioning and its guidance toward naturalness, spontaneity, and effortless being. He explains how Taoist ideas intersect with Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and wider metaphysical traditions, revealing a shared vision of an undivided reality beneath cultural structures. Gregory also discusses practices such as wu wei, aimless wandering, and inner alchemy as pathways for aligning with the Dao in modern life.

New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science.

(Recorded on **** 00, 2025)

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