In 'Enlightenment Now', Steven Pinker presents a comprehensive argument that the values of the Enlightenment—reason, science, and humanism—have been instrumental in the progress of human society. He challenges the prevailing pessimism in modern discourse by presenting empirical evidence that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise globally. Pinker uses data and graphs to illustrate improvements in various aspects of human life, such as increased life expectancy, reduced child and maternal mortality, and advancements in medicine and technology. He also addresses the psychological biases that lead people to underestimate these improvements and emphasizes the importance of continuing to uphold Enlightenment ideals to ensure further progress.
In 'Factfulness,' Hans Rosling, along with his son Ola and daughter-in-law Anna, addresses why people systematically get answers wrong about global trends. They identify ten instincts that distort our perspective, such as dividing the world into 'us' and 'them,' the influence of fear-driven media, and the misconception that most things are getting worse. The book argues that, despite its imperfections, the world is in a better state than many believe and provides a framework to see progress clearly by focusing on facts rather than biases.
Today, Michael welcomes Vishen Lakhiani. Vishen is an inspirational keynote speaker, educational activist, three-time New York Times bestselling author, and one of the leading minds in self-improvement and human consciousness. As the founder and CEO of Mindvalley, the foremost provider of online education for personal growth, he has created a platform that includes a variety of highly esteemed health and wellness applications. Vishen’s mind-training techniques have been widely used and endorsed by professional athletes across major sports leagues including the NBA, NFL, and US Open Tennis, proving their effectiveness in optimizing human performance at the highest level. Today, Vishen is focused on advancing the Mindvalley platform through cutting-edge AI technology and machine learning solutions to make it the most sophisticated learning platform in the world.
Highlights from Michael and Vishen’s conversation include:
-Vishen’s early career struggles in Silicon Valley, his personal growth journey and founding Mindvalley, and how he discovered the Silva Method
-A deep dive into the Silva Method’s teachings on intuition, healing, and accessing altered states of consciousness for optimal living
-Why Vishen views AI as an extension of our consciousness and a tool for human connection and evolution
-How emotional depth and personal stories still define meaningful communication, even with AI assistance
-Concerns over using AI in weaponry and calling for the elevation of human consciousness alongside tech
-A look into Mindvalley’s vision of personalized education that taps into one’s life purpose, using AI
-An optimistic discussion on global progress, media bias, and two books Vishen has found helpful in shifting fear-based thinking, and much more!
Finally, Michael offers a brief guided meditation on everything working together for our good.
Connect with Vishen at Mindvalley here: https://www.mindvalley.com/ and on YouTube, IG, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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And as always, deep gratitude to the sponsors of the Take Back Your Mind with Michael B. Beckwith podcast: -Agape International Spiritual Center: https://agapelive.com/ and -NutriRise, the makers of Michael’s AdaptoZen products: -Superfood Greens: https://nutririse.com/products/greens-superfood -Superfood Reds: https://nutririse.com/products/adaptozen-superfood-reds -ELEVATE+: Organic Fermented Mushrooms: https://nutririse.com/products/elevate-fermented-mushrooms-powder
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