The Weekend University

It’s often assumed that there are two ways of interpreting the world: a rational scientific way, or an irrational religious way. In this talk, Dr. Steve Taylor offers a third alternative: a view of reality that transcends both conventional science and religion, and answers many of the riddles that neither can explain. Steve will suggest that the primary reality is not matter, but consciousness. The standard model of science has had little success in explaining such areas as human consciousness, the influence of the mind over the brain and body, altruism and ‘anomalous’ phenomena such as near-death experiences and spiritual experiences. Focusing specifically on consciousness, altruism and spiritual experiences, Steve will show that these phenomena are much easier to make sense of, if we assume the existence of a fundamental consciousness of spirit. Steve will draw on the on the insights of philosophers, physicists, mystics, as well as spiritual traditions and indigenous cultures, offering a vision of the world as sacred and interconnected, and of human life as meaningful. Dr. Steve Taylor is a senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University. He is the author of several best-selling books on psychology and spirituality, including Making Time, The Leap and his new book Spiritual Science. Eckhart Tolle has described his work as ‘an important contribution to the shift in consciousness happening on our planet’ and he has twice been named in Mind, Body, Spirit magazine’s list of the ‘100 most spiritually influential living people’. Links: Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ Support this channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theweekenduniversity Steve’s books: https://amzn.to/2XwFblC Steve’s website: https://www.stevenmtaylor.com/

In an out-of-body experience (OBE), people feel as though they have left their physical body and can see the world from outside it. What are these experiences, and are they spiritual? As a 19 year-old psychology student, Susan Blackmore had an extraordinarily powerful OBE that lasted for hours and culminated in a mystical experience of transformation and oneness. Her determination to understand what had happened led Susan to becoming a parapsychologist – a profession she later gave up, zen training, and decades of research into the nature of mind and consciousness. In this talk, Susan will explore the surprising science of out-of-body experiences, whether anything really leaves the body during an OBE, and their profound effect on our sense of self. Sue Blackmore is a psychologist, lecturer and writer researching consciousness, memes, and anomalous experiences, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth. She is a TED lecturer, blogs for the Guardian, and often appears on radio and television. The Meme Machine (1999) has been translated into 16 other languages; more recent books include Conversations on Consciousness (2005), Zen and the Art of Consciousness (2011), Seeing Myself: The new science of out-of-body experiences (2017) and a textbook Consciousness: An Introduction (3rd Ed 2018). Links: Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ Support this channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theweekenduniversity Susan’s book: https://amzn.to/2Y3tlwx Susan’s website: https://www.susanblackmore.uk/ Donate to Sue’s chosen charity (Anyone’s Child): https://anyoneschild.org/

At school, we learn how to write and to calculate. From our parents we learn how to behave. But who teaches us how to live a meaningful life? And how can we find meaning in an era of scepticism and continuous stress from the economic ratrace? The first part of this lecture will describe ten key findings from scientific research about meaning in life. This will not only show the importance and feasibility of living a meaningful life, but will also show the importance of being sceptical towards our own lives. It will also be shown how clients can strongly benefit from meaning-centred therapies and practices. The second part will put our quest for meaning in a wider social-historical context. This will show the uniqueness and challenges of how we live our lives. Specific attention will be given to the Capitalist Life Syndrome, which describes the psychological discomfort that individuals may experience in capitalist societies. This includes a focus on materialistic, hedonic and self-oriented types of meaning, a functionalistic approach to life, and a combination of both identifying with this capitalist lifestyle as well as feeling trapped and helpless, like the Stockholm syndrome. With the help of the scientific insights from the first part of the lecture, it will be shown how we can overcome this Capitalist Life Syndrome, and live a meaningful and satisfying life in our sceptic and capitalist era. Dr Joel Vos (joelvos.com) is clinical psychologist, philosopher and director of the internet platform Meaning Online (meaningonline.org). He works as researcher and lecturer at The Metanoia Institute and the New School for Psychotherapy and Counselling in London. He is chair of the successful IMEC International Meaning Conferences London (meaning.org.uk) Joel has over 70 scientific publications, including the books ‘Meaning in life: an evidence-based handbook for practitioners’ (Palgrave McMillan) and ‘Fifty pictures of living a meaningful life’ (amazon.co.uk). Links: CPD Masterclass on Meaning Centred Psychotherapy: http://bit.ly/mct-podcast Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ Support this channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theweekenduniversity Joel’s books: https://amzn.to/2Y58toc Joel’s website: https://joelvos.com/

Can psychotherapy help you uncover a sense of purpose and meaning in life? A deep desire in every human being is the search for a fulfilling life – one worthy of its time, endeavour and pain, a life with value and meaning. Although most therapies offer clients some tools to live a meaningful life, meaning-centered therapies explicitly and systematically help people do this. A recently published review of 60 clinical trials found meaning-centered therapy to be extremely effective in reducing psychological problems and improving quality of life. In this lecture, Dr Joel Vos, PhD, will give an introduction into this exciting new field; starting with the work of Viktor Frankl, to the latest scientific research on meaning in life. You’ll learn about the different skills practitioners use to help clients, and also how you can adopt these approaches for your own life. Dr Joel Vos (www.joelvos.com) is clinical psychologist, philosopher and director of the internet platform Meaning Online. He works as researcher and lecturer at The Metanoia Institute and the New School for Psychotherapy and Counselling in London. He is chair of the successful IMEC International Meaning Conferences London. Joel has over 70 scientific publications to his name, including the books ‘Meaning in Life: an Evidence-Based Handbook for Practitioners’ (Palgrave McMillan) and ‘Fifty Pictures of Living a Meaningful Life’ (amazon.co.uk). Links: One Day Introductory Course on Meaning Centred Psychotherapy: http://bit.ly/mct-pod Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ Support this channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theweekenduniversity Joel’s books: https://amzn.to/2Y58toc Joel’s website: https://joelvos.com/

Despite the dominance of science and technology as forces that shape our lives, and the decline in religious attendance and affiliation in many Western countries, spirituality is becoming increasingly popular. Why is it that “spirituality-beyond-religion” is thriving in our time of science? This talk presents an answer; it argues that science and spirituality have both separated from institutionalised religion over the modern era, to become independent yet overlapping domains of enquiry. The relationship between science and spirituality can be conceived dialectically via seven polarities. To embrace these polarities, and thus to integrate science and spirituality, brings about a “complex harmony” of head and heart, that is the basis for wisdom. Dr Oliver Robinson is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich, and the course coordinator for Adult Development and Mental Health. His research focuses on how identity, wellbeing and mental health are affected by major life transitions, crises and ageing processes during adulthood. Dr Robinson’s work has gained attention from the New Scientist, The Guardian, BBC Radio 4, The Telegraph and The Times. Links: Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ Support this channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theweekenduniversity Oliver’s books: https://amzn.to/2GWtb54 Oliver’s website & newsletter: https://www.oliverrobinson.info/

It’s been noted that the human experience of life has changed over time, and that during an “axial age”, in the middle of the first millennium BCE, a consciousness that is akin to our own first began to emerge. It’s why, in the west, we feel that philosophy began with figures like Socrates who lived then. So what are the features of this consciousness, what preceded it, and how has it evolved in the centuries since, particularly in the modern period during which it may have been shifting again? This lecture will explore how the human experience has changed over time, and how this can account for the birth of philosophy, as we tend to think of it, and the emergence of psychotherapy in the 20th century. Dr Mark Vernon is a writer, broadcaster, psychotherapist and former Anglican priest, with an interest in Ancient Philosophy. His work focuses on the skills and insights that illuminate our inner lives. He contributes regularly to programmes on the BBC, comments and reviews for the national press, as well as giving talks and leading workshops. Dr Vernon has degrees in physics and theology, and a PhD in Ancient Greek philosophy. He is a member of the teaching faculty at the School of Life, and works as a psychotherapist in private practice and at the Maudsley hospital. Links: Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ Support this channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theweekenduniversity Mark’s books: https://amzn.to/2P7vL9C Mark’s website: www.markvernon.com

Jung famously remarked that the majority of people who came to him were not suffering from any neurosis or other psychological disorder, but from a lack of meaning in their life. This, he said, was the central question in the second half of life, after one has already established oneself in the world. Material comfort and a high standard of living did not necessarily lead to happiness; indeed they often got in its way, and it was not unusual for seekers of meaning to put themselves in uncomfortable circumstances, because of an unconscious instinct that comfortable ones would kill them. But the challenge of meaning concerns our inner life, and Jung believed he had hit upon the mechanism through which a “flat, stale and unprofitable” life could be transformed into one of purpose and growth. This required a new alignment of the polarity between our conscious and unconscious minds, which would make things “just right.” Jung called this the Transcendent Function and this talk will focus on its part in Jung’s search for meaning. Gary Lachman is a founding member of the rock group Blondie, and now a full time writer with more than a dozen books to his name, on topics ranging from the evolution of consciousness and the western esoteric tradition, to literature and suicide, and the history of popular culture. Lachman writes frequently for many journals in the US and UK, and lectures on his work in the US, UK, and Europe. Links: Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ Support this channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theweekenduniversity Gary's books: https://amzn.to/2HBtxOH Gary's website: https://garylachman.co.uk/

Do you have free will? Or are you simply a product of your culture? How much responsibility should you take for your actions? Are your neural pathways fixed early on by a mixture of nature and nurture, or is the possibility of comprehensive, intentional psychological change always open? What role does your brain play in the construction of free will, and how much scientific evidence is there for the existence of it? In this talk, Julian Baggini will explore free will from every angle, blending neuroscience, philosophy, sociology and cognitive science. Contemporary thinking tells us that free will is an illusion, but Baggini challenges this position, providing instead a new, more positive understanding of our sense of personal freedom: a freedom worth having. Julian Baggini is a British philosopher and author of several books including ‘The Ego Trick’, ‘The Pig that Wants to be Eaten’, ‘Freedom Regained’, and most recently ‘A Short History of Truth.’ He runs the popular blog: Microphilosophy, and writes regularly for national newspapers and magazines such as the Guardian, the Financial Times, the TLS and Prospect. He is a regular guest on BBC Radio 4, and tweets at @microphilosophy. Links: Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox: http://bit.ly/new-talks Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ Support this channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theweekenduniversity Julian’s books: https://amzn.to/2TDKTAf Julian’s website: http://microphilosophy.net

If you log onto Facebook, you will see reams of photos of your friends doing happy and fulfilling things, and seemingly cruising through life. Yet below this surface of carefully-staged online impression management, life is a far rougher ride for many adults that they would be likely to admit. Indeed, in a nationwide survey, participants were asked to evaluate whether their life was in a major crisis. 22% said yes, 33% said maybe, and 45% said no. So why is crisis so prevalent in adult life? Does it have a function, or are humans just inherently fragile? In this talk, Dr Oliver Robinson explores how crises can help you unlock new potential that would otherwise remain dormant, that they have a clear function in acting as a stimulus for seeking new information, making positive changes, and making new (sometimes hard) discoveries about ourselves and the reality around us. Dr Oliver Robinson is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich, and the course coordinator for Adult Development and Mental Health. His research focuses on how identity, wellbeing and mental health are affected by major life transitions, crises and ageing processes during adulthood. Dr Robinson’s work has gained attention from the New Scientist, The Guardian, BBC Radio 4, The Telegraph and The Times. Links: Get our latest psychology lectures emailed to your inbox:http://bit.ly/new-talks Check out our next event: http://theweekenduniversity.com/events/ Support this channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theweekenduniversity Oliver’s books: https://amzn.to/2GWtb54 Oliver’s website & newsletter: https://www.oliverrobinson.info/

In this engaging discussion, Johann Hari, an award-winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author, reveals that depression and anxiety stem from societal issues, not just chemical imbalances. His global journey uncovered nine real causes and seven effective solutions for mental health, emphasizing the power of community and connections. Hari explores the impact of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivations, the trauma-obesity link, and the importance of supportive environments in healing, all while advocating for systemic changes that foster human dignity and well-being.