Very Bad Wizards Episode 324: Irruption of the Sacred
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Jan 13, 2026 Dive into the divine with a discussion on sacred spaces as a crucial anchor in our chaotic lives. Uncover how swearing might boost physical strength, despite skepticism about the science behind it. Explore Mircea Eliade's ideas on how modernity has desanctified yet left traces of the sacred in personal rituals and home life. Delve into the contrasts between sacredness and the profane, and how cultural phenomena like Twin Peaks serve as liminal portals. Join the thought-provoking journey from chaos to meaning!
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Question Psychological Mechanism Claims
- David Pizarro and Tamler critique scientific claims that overreach when explaining mechanisms behind simple effects, like swearing increasing strength.
- They accept the effect but warn that invoking vague 'state disinhibition' or flimsy mediator measures is poor science.
Swearing Boosts Strength; Mechanism Unclear
- The swearing studies robustly show increased physical performance, but mediators like flow, confidence, or humor are weakly measured.
- David Pizarro suspects unmeasured physiological changes may underlie the effect despite authors favoring psychological explanations.
Sacred vs. Profane As Fundamental Modalities
- Mircea Eliade distinguishes sacred and profane as two modalities where the sacred orders reality and the profane is chaotic and less real.
- Modern people are largely desacralized but still retain traces of religious valorization, producing 'crypto-religious' behavior.
