485. The Rebirth of God: Pathology and Promise | Jamie Wheal

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Sep 30, 2024

Jamie Wheal, author of "Recapture the Rapture" and founder of the Flow Genome Project, delves into the complexities of spirituality and human potential. He discusses the Nietzschean concept of the death of God and its implications on society, examining the rise of hypocrisy in religious institutions. The conversation spans topics like the morality of masculinity, the transformative nature of play, and the dynamics of political discourse in the digital age. Wheal emphasizes the need for deeper meaning and ethical responsibility in an increasingly chaotic world.

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INSIGHT

Consequences of the Death of God

The death of God leads to nihilism, disunity, or power struggles as replacements for unifying narratives.
People are hedonistic, nihilistic, hopeless, anxious, and lost without a unifying principle.

INSIGHT

Nietzsche's Caution

Nietzsche warned against simply replacing God with politicized power games.
He foresaw the dangers of societal collapse when unifying principles are destroyed.

ANECDOTE

Enuma Elish and Societal Collapse

The Enuma Elish, a Mesopotamian creation myth, describes careless sub-deities killing the principle upon which they're founded.
This mirrors the recurring historical pattern of cultural collapse due to loss of faith in unifying principles.

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Recapture the Rapture

Jamie Wheal

Strange Rites

Tara Isabella Burton

The Sacred and The Profane

The Nature of Religion

Mircea Eliade

In this book, Mircea Eliade examines how religious man (Homo religiosus) experiences the sacred and how these experiences form the basis of religions. He contrasts this with the profane mode of existence, arguing that even in modern, secular societies, traces of the sacred persist. Eliade introduces the concept of hierophany, the manifestation of the sacred in a profane space, and discusses how sacred spaces and rituals are created and sustained through these manifestations. He also explores the desacralization of modern life and its implications for human religious experience[2][4][5].

We Who Wrestle with God

Perceptions of the Divine

Jordan B Peterson

In 'We Who Wrestle with God', Dr. Peterson delves into the ancient, foundational stories of the Western world. He analyzes Biblical accounts of rebellion, sacrifice, suffering, and triumph, such as the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, the Tower of Babel, Abraham, and Moses. The book explores how these stories stabilize, inspire, and unite us culturally and psychologically. It encourages readers to understand these narratives scientifically and spiritually, to become conscious of the structure of their souls and societies, and to see themselves and others in a new light.

Reasons to Vote for Democrats

A Comprehensive Guide

A. Knowls

This book, described as 'the most exhaustively researched and coherently argued Democrat Party apologia to date', is a satirical work by Michael J. Knowles. It consists of 266 pages, most of which are blank, divided into chapters on various policy areas such as economics, foreign policy, and civil rights. The book's lack of content is a deliberate critique of the Democratic Party's policies and record. Despite its satirical nature, the book gained significant attention and briefly topped Amazon's bestseller list in March 2017.

The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious

Jung, C. G.

Carl Gustav Jung

This book features many of Jung's most important essays on archetypes and the collective unconscious. It explores the idea that there is a deeper, universal level of the unconscious that contains archetypes, which are preexistent thought forms common to all humans. These archetypes manifest in dreams, myths, and fairytales, and play a crucial role in the psychological process of individuation. The essays discuss various archetypes such as the persona, the shadow, the anima or animus, and the self, and how they influence human psychology and behavior. The book also includes a pictorial section with examples of archetypal images drawn by Jung's patients, illustrating the universal nature of these symbols[1][2][5].

Finite and infinite games

James P. Carse

In this book, James P. Carse distinguishes between finite and infinite games. Finite games are instrumental activities with clear rules, boundaries, and winners, such as sports, politics, and wars. Infinite games, on the other hand, are authentic interactions that aim to continue the play, changing rules and boundaries as needed. Carse explores how these concepts apply to various aspects of life, including culture, religion, sexuality, and self-discovery. He argues that finite games offer wealth, status, and power, while infinite games provide something more subtle and grander, such as true freedom and endless possibility. The book offers insights into how approaching life as either a finite or infinite game affects one's choices, satisfaction, and success[2][4][5].

Fantasyland

How America Went Haywire

Kurt Andersen

In "Fantasyland" untersucht Kurt Andersen die Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten und die Rolle von Verschwörungstheorien und extremistischen Ideologien. Er argumentiert, dass die amerikanische Kultur seit ihrer Gründung von einer Tendenz zur Übersteigerung und zum Glauben an fantastische Geschichten geprägt ist. Das Buch beleuchtet die Entwicklung dieser Tendenz von den frühen Puritanern bis zur heutigen Zeit und zeigt, wie sie die amerikanische Politik, Wirtschaft und Kultur beeinflusst hat. Andersen analysiert die Ursachen dieser Tendenz und ihre Folgen für die amerikanische Gesellschaft. Das Buch ist eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit der amerikanischen Identität und ihren Widersprüchen.

The selfish gene

Lalla Ward Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

In 'The Selfish Gene', Richard Dawkins presents a gene-centred view of evolution, arguing that genes are the primary units of selection and that they behave selfishly to ensure their own replication. The book explains concepts such as kin selection, inclusive fitness, and the evolutionarily stable strategy, highlighting how these mechanisms can lead to altruistic behaviors in organisms. Dawkins emphasizes that the 'selfishness' of genes is a metaphorical concept, describing their evolutionary consequences rather than any intentional behavior. The book has been influential in shaping modern evolutionary thought and remains relevant today[1][3][5].

The great mother

An Analysis of the Archetype

Erich Neumann

In this book, Erich Neumann delves into the archetype of the Great Mother, tracing its evolution from prehistoric times to modern society. He analyzes the feminine archetype through various cultural and historical representations, such as goddesses, monsters, and natural symbols. Neumann's work highlights the dialectical relationship between growing consciousness and the unconscious, symbolized by the child and the Great Mother, respectively. The book is considered a profound and enduring contribution to archetypal studies and Jungian psychology[3][4][5].

The hero with a thousand faces

Joseph Campbell

In this book, Joseph Campbell explores his theory of the 'monomyth', a universal pattern found in the mythological narratives of various cultures. He details the stages of the 'hero's journey', which include departure from the ordinary world, initiation into a supernatural world, and return with a boon. Campbell draws on a wide range of mythological sources and integrates insights from psychology, particularly from Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, to illustrate the common elements of heroic myths across different cultures.

Behave

The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

Robert Sapolsky

In this book, Sapolsky delves into the complex interplay of biological processes, including neuroscience, genetics, and hormones, to explain why humans behave in various ways. He examines behavior on multiple time scales, from the immediate neural responses to actions that occur over centuries and millennia. The book addresses topics such as tribalism, xenophobia, hierarchy, competition, morality, and free will, providing a nuanced and multifaceted understanding of human behavior. Sapolsky's approach integrates cutting-edge research across several disciplines to offer insights into the biological basis of human actions, both good and bad.

The Origins and History of Consciousness

Erich Neumann

In this influential book, Erich Neumann outlines the archetypal stages in the development of consciousness, using depth psychology and analytical psychology. He discusses how individual consciousness undergoes the same stages of development as human consciousness as a whole, tracing these stages through various myths and archetypes such as the Great Mother, the separation of the World Parents, the Birth of the Hero, and the Slaying of the Dragon. The book emphasizes the role of the collective unconscious and the evolving ego consciousness, and it includes a foreword by C.G. Jung. Neumann's work connects these psychological concepts to therapy, aiming to help individuals and society by exploring the deep parts of the mind and understanding myths and their impact on human development.