The Weekend University

Dr. Samuel Wilkinson, a Yale professor and psychiatrist, discusses the purposeful nature of life, our capacity for good and evil, the importance of relationships for happiness, and cognitive illusions affecting our search for fulfillment. He explores the balance between selfishness and altruism in human nature, the significance of social interactions in psychiatry, and the critical role of positive relationships in mental well-being and personal development.

Dr. Martha Beck is a Harvard-trained sociologist, New York Times Bestselling Author, and world-renowned coach. She has published ten books, including Finding Your Own North Star, Diana Herself, and The Way of Integrity, which this interview focuses on. Expect to learn: — How Martha’s Near Death Experience radically altered her trajectory in life — The incredible psychological benefits of radical honesty — How to tap into your right brain when creating a vision for your life — Martha’s view on the purpose of human life And more. You can learn more about Martha’s work, books, and courses at marthabeck.com. --- Martha Beck's journey began with dreams of academia, but life led her to motherhood and Harvard degrees. Embracing rest, she found her calling as an author and life coach. With "The Way of Integrity," a New York Times Best Seller, she empowers readers worldwide. As president of Martha Beck, Inc., she speaks globally, offering workshops and coaching through Wayfinder Life Coach Training. Martha's mission centers on ending suffering, promoting integrity, compassion, inclusion, and antiracism. Her work fosters a more just, compassionate world. You can learn more about Martha’s work, books, and courses at https://marthabeck.com. --- — Martha Beck’s website - https://marthabeck.com — Martha Beck’s books - https://amzn.to/4digxJk

Dr Iain McGilchrist, a psychiatrist and writer, delves into his hemispheric hypothesis explaining societal addiction. Topics include the decline of Western civilization, left hemisphere dominance, ingredients for human flourishing, and the concept of the sacred and embedded values in being.

Professor Donald Hoffman is a cognitive neuroscientist and the author of more than 90 scientific papers and three books, including Visual Intelligence and The Case Against Reality. He is best known for his theory of consciousness, which combines evolutionary theory with mathematics to make a compelling case that the reality we see every day is an illusion created by our minds. In this conversation, we explore: — The groundbreaking scientific research being conducted by physicists into the “structures” beyond spacetime — Donald’s theory of conscious agents — The implications his theory of consciousness has for our understanding of the purpose of life And more. You can follow Donald on Twitter @donalddhoffman - https://x.com/donalddhoffman — Prof. Donald Hoffman, PhD received his PhD from MIT, and joined the faculty of the University of California, Irvine in 1983, where he is a Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Sciences. He is an author of over 100 scientific papers and three books, including Visual Intelligence, and The Case Against Reality. He received a Distinguished Scientific Award from the American Psychological Association for early career research, the Rustum Roy Award of the Chopra Foundation, and the Troland Research Award of the US National Academy of Sciences. His writing has appeared in Edge, New Scientist, LA Review of Books, and Scientific American and his work has been featured in Wired, Quanta, The Atlantic, and Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. You can watch his TED Talk titled “Do we see reality as it is?” and you can follow him on Twitter @donalddhoffman. --- Interview Links: — Prof Hoffman’s profile: http://www.cogsci.uci.edu/~ddhoff — Prof Hoffman’s book: https://bit.ly/3SCwTTA

Dr Sue Johnson was the developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and a pioneer in adult attachment and couples therapy, who sadly passed on April 23, 2024. With over 30 years of peer reviewed clinical research demonstrating its effectiveness, Dr Johnson received several awards for her contribution to the development of EFT, including the Order of Canada and the Family Psychologist of the Year from the American Psychological Association. She was the best selling author of several books, including “Hold Me Tight”, which has sold over one million copies worldwide and helped countless couples improve their relationships. You can learn more about Dr Johnson’s pioneering work by visiting: https://drsuejohnson.com and EFT training at https://iceeft.com. --- Dr. Sue Johnson was a leading innovator in the fields of couple therapy and adult attachment. She was the primary developer of Emotionally Focused Couples and Family Therapy (EFT), which has demonstrated its effectiveness in over 30 years of peer-reviewed clinical research. Sue has received numerous awards acknowledging her development of EFT, including the APA’s “Family Psychologist of the Year” in 2016 and the Order of Canada in 2017. Her best-selling 2008 book Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love has taught countless couples how to enhance and repair their love relationships. It remains one of the best-selling relationship help books on the market today. It has since been adapted into a workshop format. Sue’s 2014 book, Love Sense: The Revolutionary New Science in Romantic Relationships, outlines the latest understanding of why and how we love, based on scientific evidence and cutting-edge research. You can learn more about Dr Johnson’s pioneering work by visiting: https://drsuejohnson.com and EFT training at https://iceeft.com. --- Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:31 - Therapy Beyond Bargaining 09:49 - Relationships in the Digital Age 20:37 - Relationship Therapy 35:00 - Relationship Change 43:17 - Attachment & Emotional Well-being 49:01 - Mental Health Impact 52:53 - Emotion-Focused Therapy --- 3 Books Dr Johnson Recommends Every Therapist Should Read: Attachment in Adulthood, First Edition: Structure, Dynamics, and Change - https://amzn.to/42xt6LU A Secure Base - https://amzn.to/497ax3W Hold Me Tight: Your Guide to the Most Successful Approach to Building Loving Relationships - https://amzn.to/4bwCJ1C Interview Links: — Dr Johnson’s website - http://drsuejohnson.com/ — EFT training - https://iceeft.com

Jonathan Fields is an award winning author, entrepreneur, webby-nominated producer, and host of one of the world’s top podcasts - the Good Life Project. He has been featured in outlets including: The New York Times, CNN, The Guardian, and FastCompany. His most recent book: “Sparked” provides a simple framework for helping individuals to discover the work that makes them come most fully alive, and it is the focus of this conversation. You’ll learn: — Jonathan’s philosophy of “Maximum Sustainable Generosity” and how this helps him to avoid burnout — The 10 “Sparketypes” and how Jonathan’s assessment can provide deep insights into the work that you find most meaningful and energising — The relationship between your primary sparketype, shadow sparketype, and anti-sparketype — Why thinking small and an experimental mindset are vital if you want to make a meaningful impact in the world. And more. You can learn more about Jonathan’s innovative work at jonathanfields.com and take the assessment at https://sparketype.com. --- Jonathan Fields—the Good Life Guy—delivers insights that spark purpose, possibility, and potential. On a decades-long quest to discover what makes people come fully alive, Jonathan is an award-winning author, Webby-nominated producer, business innovator, and host of one of the world’s top podcasts, Good Life Project. The Wall Street Journal named Good Life Project one of the top self-development podcasts, and Apple featured it on-stage during its legendary annual product event. Jonathan is featured widely in the media, including The New York Times, FastCompany, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, CNN, The Guardian, O Magazine, SELF, Allure, Outside, Elle, Vogue, Fitness and thousands of other outlets. In addition to writing award-winning and bestselling books like SPARKED: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes Us Come Alive, How to Live a Good Life and Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt Into Fuel For Brilliance, Jonathan has founded several companies with a focus on maximizing human potential. The most recent is Spark Endeavors, where he is the chief architect and driving force behind the world’s first purpose, engagement, and flow archetypes–the Sparketypes®. This powerful tool has been tapped by over 600,000 individuals and organizations, generating more than 30-million data-points and a rapidly growing body of stories, use-cases, applications, and insight-based solutions to help transform how we work, lead and live. On the live or virtual stage, Jonathan captivates with eye-opening ideas, stories, and science. He draws not just from his own experience, but also the wisdom of the many global visionaries he’s interviewed, along with insights from the vast data-set generated by the Sparketype Assessment. It all adds up to a rare ability to take audiences on a joyful journey of discovery. Jonathan’s unique insights and solutions inspire people to put what they learn into action. --- Interview Links: — Jonathan’s website - https://www.jonathanfields.com — Jonathan’s books - https://amzn.to/3wdZQOd

Dr. Dwight Turner, psychotherapist and researcher, discusses intersectionality in therapy, the impact of otherness on the psyche, and how dream work reveals hidden aspects of self. He explores the complexities of privilege, when it becomes toxic, and emphasizes viewing individuals holistically to avoid stereotyping. Turner highlights the challenges minorities face in counseling, the formation of prejudice in childhood, and the role of parents in promoting self-acceptance.

Philip Folsom and Joshua Wenner, founders of K4, discuss healthy masculinity, shadow work, archetypes, and finding your tribe. They explore the 4 Masculine Archetypes, integrating wounded parts of the past, and balancing goodness with power. Topics include designing your perfect day, shadow work, healthy masculinity, fear of success, and honor-based culture through kinship and tribe.

AJ Jacobs is a New York Times bestselling author, journalist, editor at Esquire Magazine, and maybe one of the most interesting people on the planet today. His books include: “A Year of Living Biblically”' which documents his attempt to follow every single rule from the Bible as literally as possible, including stoning adulterers, not shaving his beard, and only wearing white; “The Know it All”, which is about reading the Encyclopedia from start to finish; as well as: “My Life as an Experiment”; “The Puzzler”, and “Drop Dead Healthy”. In this conversation, we explore: — What AJ learned from 2 months of radical honesty — The value of boldness and the time AJ accused Oprah Winfrey of farting on set — The puzzler mindset and the importance of replacing motivated reasoning with curiosity — AJ’s thoughts on what it takes to write a good book. And more. You can learn more about AJ’s work and books by going to: https://ajjacobs.com. His latest book is: The Year of Living Constitutionally and it’s released in May of this year. --- A.J. Jacobs, acclaimed author, journalist, and lecturer, known for his humorous yet insightful writing style, has penned four New York Times bestsellers melding memoir, science, and self-help. He serves as editor at large at Esquire, a commentator on NPR, and a columnist for Mental Floss. Jacobs is renowned for his unique experiments, from reading the Encyclopedia Britannica to living by the Bible's rules, chronicled in his bestselling books. His latest work explores the global family tree's impact on society. A sought-after speaker, Jacobs has appeared on major media outlets and delivered TED talks. He resides in New York City with his family. --- Interview Links: — AJ’s website - https://ajjacobs.com — AJ's books - https://amzn.to/49Kf7oC

Dr Bruce Lipton, a pioneer in epigenetics, discusses how beliefs impact gene expression, subconscious programming before age 7, practical ways to reprogram the mind, and the potential for personal empowerment. Topics also cover super learning, brain hemispheres, tapping as a pattern interrupt, and the importance of harmony with nature for a brighter future.