Sebastian Junger reflects on his near-death experience and explores mortality and the afterlife. Topics include personal encounters with death, consciousness, near-death experiences, and the mysteries of the universe. Insights on risk-taking, longevity strategies, and family connections with a renowned physicist are also discussed.
Read more
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Sebastian Junger's near-death experience prompted a profound investigation into mortality and the afterlife.
Younger stresses the importance of extensive reading and studying renowned authors to enhance writing skills.
The podcast delves into existential questions, consciousness, and the mysteries of the universe, challenging human understanding.
Deep dives
Sebastian Younger's Diverse Life Experiences and Near-Death Encounters
Sebastian Younger, a multifaceted individual with experiences ranging from dangerous jobs to combat journalism, shared profound insights in the podcast. He discussed his near-death encounters, including survival stories from accidents while tree felling, near-drowning while surfing, and escaping machine gun fire in Afghanistan. Younger highlighted his book 'In My Time of Dying,' dedicated to a deceased friend, exploring the idea of an afterlife, triggered by a life-threatening medical crisis he faced.
Younger's Journey to Becoming a Renowned Writer and the Art of Writing
Sebastian Younger, a New York Times best-selling author, shared valuable advice on becoming a successful writer. He emphasized the importance of reading extensively from renowned writers like John McPhee and Cormac McCarthy to hone writing skills. Younger highlighted the impact of studying masters of writing and developing an intuitive feel for compelling language, underscoring the significance of meticulous reading and learning from exceptional writers.
Contemplating Existential and Philosophical Inquiries with Michael Shermer
During the podcast, Sebastian Younger delved into existential questions about consciousness, mortality, and the mysteries of the universe. He explored the limitations of human understanding, pondering the unknown realms of consciousness and the universe's origins. Discussing the expansive topics of the afterlife, consciousness, and human cognition, Younger scrutinized the intricate nature of human consciousness and the perpetual quest for answers to profound philosophical inquiries.
Exploring Consciousness and Universal Beliefs
The podcast delves into the fascinating connection between consciousness, Eastern mysticism, and universal beliefs. The discussion centers on renowned physicist Schrodinger's surprising belief in a universal consciousness rooted in Eastern philosophy, challenging traditional scientific perspectives. Various notable figures like Deepak Chopra and Donald Hoffman are mentioned, highlighting the growing interest in consciousness and panpsychism, with consciousness potentially existing independently of physical substrates.
Navigating Existential Questions and Meaningful Lives
The episode addresses profound existential questions regarding life, death, and the pursuit of meaningful existence. The conversation contemplates the implications of afterlife beliefs, exploring the potential psychological impacts of proving or disproving their existence. Notable figures like Christopher Hitchens' perspective on afterlife and the significance of human connections are discussed, emphasizing the importance of living in the present and cherishing meaningful relationships amidst uncertainties about the afterlife.
For years as an award-winning war reporter, Sebastian Junger traveled to many front lines and frequently put his life at risk. And yet the closest he ever came to death was the summer of 2020 while spending a quiet afternoon at the New England home he shared with his wife and two young children. Crippled by abdominal pain, Junger was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. Once there, he began slipping away. As blackness encroached, he was visited by his dead father, inviting Junger to join him. “It’s okay,” his father said. “There’s nothing to be scared of. I’ll take care of you.” That was the last thing Junger remembered until he came to the next day when he was told he had suffered a ruptured aneurysm that he should not have survived.
This experience spurred Junger—a confirmed atheist raised by his physicist father to respect the empirical—to undertake a scientific, philosophical, and deeply personal examination of mortality and what happens after we die. How do we begin to process the brutal fact that any of us might perish unexpectedly on what begins as an ordinary day? How do we grapple with phenomena that science may be unable to explain? And what happens to a person, emotionally and spiritually, when forced to reckon with such existential questions?
In My Time of Dying is part medical drama, part searing autobiography, and part rational inquiry into the ultimate unknowable mystery.
Sebastian Junger is The New York Times bestselling author of Tribe, War, Freedom, A Death in Belmont, Fire, and The Perfect Storm, and codirector of the documentary film Restrepo, which was nominated for an Academy Award. He is also the winner of a Peabody Award and the National Magazine Award for Reporting.
Shermer and Junger discuss: his near-death experience and his curent beliefs • NDEs and OBEs • hallucinations • altered states of consciousness • sensed presence effect • sleep paralysis • why there is no “proof” of an afterlife • living forever • belief in life after death • empirical truths vs. mythic truths • longevity and how to live longer.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode