The Meaning Code

Brad joins Karen to talk about the implicit and explicit, how that ties into narratives, and the gift of knowledge that comes from love and results in communion.Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Discussion of Topics 04:17 Understanding Implicit and Explicit Knowing 06:51 I Cor 13 09:44 Love as the Endgame, Reflections on Love, Fitting, and Implicit Things 26:49 The Purpose of Knowledge and the connection between knowledge and love 28:59 Analysis of Fictional Narratives in Lord of the Rings, The Space Trilogy, and Dune 39:31 Discussion on the themes of various books, "That Hideous Strength," "Till We Have Faces," and "Lord of the Rings" 58:02 Life as a painting 1:08:50 Relationship between horse and rider 1:13:15 A Woman and Her Horse, learning to speak the horse's language 1:15:00 Brad's story about his Dad 1:18:30 Learning to train horses and learning to Dance with Life Link to the YouTube series on Til We Have Faces playlist of the entire book, dramatized https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqUNYJ_czWY&list=PL5lO5q9IlqxSk6wp_EI8CGOsBBldeXiTc

I talk with Ian about something he said on Twitter. "Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris were all my heroes growing up. Atheist household, so it wasnt rebellious, but we did think the Christian’s were going to destroy the world. Then two years ago I became one of those “world destroyers." Timestamps 00:00. Introduction and Background 10:20 Ian Clarke's Non-Religious Upbringing and New Atheism Movement 22:32. Ian Clarke's Journey with Atheism and Buddhism 38:00 Screaming on the inside 45:07 Coping with Existential Dread 48:51 Ian Clarke's Personal Life and Covid Experience 56:09 A Personal Testimony of Faith 59:45. Karen's Father's Conversion to Faith 1:06:27 Discussion on Ian's church experience and family's reaction 1:11:12 The Slavery of Self-Importance 1:16:00 Ian's life now and his new restaurant

Teacher of Philosophy specializing in Nietzsche, Aron van Os shares on topics such as Nietzsche, philosophy, religion, weakness and strength, opponent processing, reality, modernism and postmodernism, ancient traditions and modern science, free will and choice, and Nietzsche's paradoxical ideas on self-discovery, forgetfulness, and stability. Aron shared his personal journey, struggles with depression, doubts about his faith, and how he found solace in music and eventually pursued a liberal arts degree. He also discussed his interest in Nietzsche and his master's thesis: The Pious Anti-Christ: Nietzsche as a religious thinker. Aron clarified that Nietzsche's hammer is not about destruction, but rather a tool for examining the soundness of ideas and values. He warned against the dangers of conceptualizing powerful people as evil and oneself as good, and encouraged positive self-evaluation and being good in comparison to oneself and one's own potential. Karen and Aron also explored the complex societal issue of weakness and resentment, examining its roots in the power and oppression debate, and discussing potential solutions such as joining a diverse institution and treating others as human beings. Karen and Aron engaged in a thoughtful discussion about the different interpretations of reality and Christianity, with Aron highlighting the importance of reconciling opposites and valuing art as a way of seeing beyond the objective truth. They also discussed the differences between modernism and postmodernism, and the potential benefits of rethinking truth and finding connections in ancient traditions. Additionally, they explored the complications of free will and choice. Aron offers a fresh perspective on complex philosophical and societal issues highlights the potential benefits of reconciling opposites, valuing art, and finding connections in ancient traditions.

Can coherence therapy and memory reconsolidation contribute to personal healing and transformation? What role do spirituality and faith play in the healing process? Ryan joins me to tell his story. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:20 Ryan's Story of Healing 09:38 Ryan's Journey to Healing and Self-Discovery 12:00 Coherence Therapy 25:32 Personal Transformation and Empowerment 29:38 Ryan's Transformation and Career Shift 40:55 Finding Purpose in Pain and Suffering 44:15 The Interweaving of Psychological and Spiritual Healing 55:50 Developing Heuristic Models for Understanding the Body 1:04:09 Integrating Mind and Body for Healing 1:12:50 Learning to Listen to Yourself and Paying Attention 1:24:16 Integration of Science, Religion, and Healing 1:28:43 The Interconnectedness of Systems and Healing Two books Ryan recommends: Ecker’s book Unlocking the Emotional Brain https://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Emotional-Brain-Eliminating-Reconsolidation/dp/0415897173 The book I referenced at the end (with info on how to do the inner child work) was in Attachment Disturbances in Adults. It’s a textbook, not very accessible, but very good material https://www.amazon.com/Attachment-Disturbances-Adults-Treatment-Comprehensive/dp/0393711528?nodl=1&dplnkId=835a6f9a-05a4-4bc0-8ac1-a9f40146aa79

Alastair Duckworth discusses his book-in-progress, The Golden Extremes, a play on Aristotle's Golden Mean and a fascinating look at how a deeper understanding of polarity may help to heal our fractured society. Links to ideas mentioned follow the timestamps. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Book Overview 07:22 The Paradoxical Nature of Design and Faith 22:39 The Relationship Between Courage and Virtue 25:48 The Importance of Polar Relationships in Marriage 30:14 The Transformative Power of Evil 35:46 The Relationship Between Truth, Goodness, and Beauty 41:06 The Relationship Between Fittedness, Goodness and Unity 46:18 The Importance of Every Part 53:46 The Importance of Implicit Elements in Building Community 1:00:36 The Challenge of Creating Meaningful Brands in Materialistic Companies 1:05:13 Life and Creativity as Polar Dynamics Rupert Sheldrake and Mae-Wan Ho on Everything is Life: Part 1: https://youtu.be/IwMWTD-nyck?si=ljcZv4Sfjqjxn2Zx Part 2: https://youtu.be/9Z5D8v4EYHQ?si=p0sj_lVhR5LAfm2A Stephen Talbott's book, free on-line Organisms and Their Evolution - Agency and Meaning in the Drama of Life https://bwo.life/bk/index.htm

Scientist Richard A. Watson discusses the limitations of evolution by natural selection in explaining life's origin and transitions. Topics include dominance in art, physics of vibrations, stress in living systems, placebo healing, and life as a song leading to transformation and growth.

Peter Berkman and Karen Wong discuss the life and work of Romano Guardini, a 20th-century theologian. They explored Guardini's delineation of the difference between oppositions and contradictions, and the idea that some things, like truth and falsehood, cannot exist in the tension of opposites. They also discussed the philosophical and ethical implications of the contradiction between living and non-living things, and the need to understand and tame the technological advancements that surround us in order to preserve our humanity.The conversation then turned to the importance of context and attention in building things, and the intersection of attention in the works of various philosophers and thinkers. Wong and Berkman also delved into the concept of experiential DNA and how it affects our perception of the world, arguing that acknowledging our biases is crucial for scientific research.Peter's latest album with Anamanaguchi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqPETi21K8QThanks so much for having me, that was great

Pastor Phil Eubank of Menlo Church in Silicon Valley tells his life story and how he looks at The Great Story. Along the way, we covered a range of topics, including his experience at Moody Bible Institute, and his appointment as lead pastor at Menlo Church. We also discussed deconstructing faith, understanding God, and the dangers of finding identity solely in labels. Phil shared his reading list and discussed the liturgical approach to Menlo's worship service and the significance of life groups in church communities. At the end, he reveals his current reading list and his thoughts on the impact of politics on the church and the dechurching of America. Books follow timestamps. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:15 Phil EuBank's Life Story and Experience at Moody Bible Institute 08:53 Deconstructing Faith and Understanding God 13:55 Identity, Introspection, and the Great Story 17:20 Teaching and Understanding the Bible and Science 26:54 Phil EuBank's journey to Menlo Church 29:50 Adjusting to a New Environment 31:30 Recent Books Read by Phil EuBank 37:12 Exploring Liturgical Approaches to Worship Services 39:43 Explore God and Community Building 42:43 Importance of Life Groups in Church Communities 47:04 Navigating Politics and RealityThe Reappearing Church by Mark Sayers (pertinent quote from this book: "The renewal pattern is composed of four stages through which we progress: Holy Discontent, which leads into Preparation, which then sets us up for the posture of Contending, which then moves into the formation of Patterns that center our lives around God’s presence. A group of people gathered around this process then finds each other, forming a Remnant. The process looks like this, moving in a clockwise direction.” and “In the post-Christian vision, progress replaces God’s presence as the engine of history” Live No Lies by John Mark Comer Genesis Unbound by John Sailhammer How Not to Read the Bible by Dan Kimball The Air We Breath by Glen Scrivener The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt The Great De-Churching by Jim Davis, et al The 4 Views Series, including Creation, Evolution & Intelligent Design (Stephen Meyer, Ken Ham, and others)

The meeting began with Haris Neophytou providing an update on his research and transition period, highlighting his focus on his own research and departure from EU funded projects. He discussed his progress on his monster group theory and an alternative method of calculating entropy, as well as his interest in cognitive science and interdisciplinary research. Karen and Haris discussed the importance of different domains of knowledge in offering perspectives on the whole, and the need for generalists in academia who can explore beyond their domain. They also delved into the world of interdisciplinary connections and unconventional cognition, discussing the work of Michael Levin and his ability to bring together people from different disciplines to have fascinating conversations. They also explored Richard Watson's idea of morpho space and its connection to palindromes and recollection, and how quasi experimentation can be used to study living systems through numerical analysis and simulations. Additionally, they touched on the history of science and the work of Galvani, and how his experiments with electricity and bioelectricity relate to the concept of galvanization in computer science. The group then discussed the concept of different types of knowing, including perspicacious, perfusive, and palindromic knowing, each with their own unique characteristics and examples. They explored the importance of these types of knowing in various contexts. They also delved into the concept of palindromic knowing and its connection to tradition and knowledge passed down through generations. The meeting concluded with a deep discussion about the nature of truth, beauty, and goodness, and how they relate to God's love. They explored the idea of running experiments in life to move towards the ultimate good, and how this can be seen as a personal journey towards becoming more like Christ. Haris shared a personal story about a wish he made at a church in Turkey, and how it relates to his theory of maximum unentanglement. They also touched on the concept of factorization in order to talk about different service spaces, and how this relates to quantum physics and communication.Turing's work on the chemical basis of morphogenesis: https://www.dna.caltech.edu/courses/cs191/paperscs191/turing.pdfDragon drone light show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G1KBu6H6BMYves Klein's art, the International Klein Blue https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/yves-klein-1418 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Klein_BlueA Critique of Integrated Information Theory (IIT) - Scott Aaronson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQa5cu7Ao9M&t=1sAnd the actual open letter, signed by 124 researchers https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/zsr78/

Lucas Van Os, a literary enthusiast exploring human connection, joins the conversation about C.S. Lewis's 'Till We Have Faces.' They dive into the transformative power of love and the nature of sacrifice, analyzing complex character relationships. The impact of perspective on self-discovery is also discussed, highlighting how personal experiences shape our views. Lucas shares insights on how technology influences genuine interactions and the importance of deep connections in a superficial world, all while showcasing his passion for insightful conversations.