The Living Philosophy

Dr. Michael R. Montgomery (PhD, MA, MSc, MSW, LCSW) is an existential psychoanalyst who represents a radical wing of contemporary depth psychology—one deeply influenced by R.D. Laing's anti-psychiatry tradition, phenomenology, and a fierce commitment to humanising extreme mental states. Based between Boston, Massachusetts and having deep roots in post-conflict Belfast, Montgomery positions himself as both clinician and activist, bridging psychoanalytic practice with community healing, peace work, and cultural critique.His signature concept—"psychophobia" (society's fear of the mind and extreme mental states)—anchors a body of work challenging psychiatric medicalisation, advocating for phenomenological approaches that honour lived experience, and reclaiming psychosis, mania, and other "extreme states" as potentially transformative rather than purely pathological._____________In this conversation, Michael Montgomery shares his journey through various philosophical and spiritual traditions, emphasising the importance of bridging Eastern and Western thought in psychotherapy. He discusses the role of silence, community, and personal experience in healing, while also addressing the complexities of faith and human nature. The dialogue explores the concept of psychophobia and the transformative power of music and community in fostering connection and understanding._____________🔗 Links- Michael's podcast: https://psychophobia.com/- Michael's website: https://drmontgomery.com/_____________⏳Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:34 How Michael knows Jon Mills03:04 The art of speaking across ideological lines04:36 Michael's relationship with Buddhism08:00 Existential psychoanalysis09:33 The R.D. Laing lineage12:06 The importance of existential psychotherapy13:02 Michael's experience growing up in the Troubles in Belfast13:43 Michael's quest for answers16:26 Michael's World Record attempt in the silent room21:23 The endurance of spiritual lineages22:38 Why no peace on Earth?26:19 What Buddhism offers27:26 The revival of relationship with Christianity31:43 Does God exist?37:02 What is psychophobia?46:47 The McDonaldisation of healthcare52:12 Michael's disillusion with the mental health system57:21 Plurality: do we have many selves?01:06:41 Michael's experience with dreams and consciousness01:08:53 Elevated states and mental health01:14:35 How dreams can change your perception of reality01:17:08 Voices, language patterns and the nature of psyche01:21:06 Michael's guest recommendation: Ken Wilber01:22:11 Where to get more from Michael

Layman Pascal is a Canadian "feral philosopher" and host of The Integral Stage podcast who has become a central connector and theorist in the overlapping worlds of metamodernism, integral theory, and Game B. His signature contributions—the Metaphysics of Adjacency, the Integration Surplus Model of spirituality, and Metashamanics—offer a sophisticated yet playful bridge between abstract philosophy and embodied transformation. Known for his capacity to hold complexity with humour, Pascal brings both philosophical rigour and playful irreverence to questions of meaning-making in an age of metacrisis.____________In this conversation, we talk Nietzsche, metashamanism, and the ontology and epistemology of entities.We delve into the role of personal experience in shaping philosophical thought, and the implications of neurodiversity in understanding shamanic practices. The dialogue also touches on the nature of imagination, creativity, and the unpredictability of inspiration, exploring our different approaches to life from the moist pragmatism to dry scholarism. ____________🔗 More from LaymanLayman's website: https://www.laymanpascal.com/Layman's Substack: https://laymanpascal.substack.com/____________⏳ Timestamps:00:00 Intro - the Feral Philosopher03:19 Blaise Pascal's spiritual note05:18 Nietzsche and the irrationality of philosophers08:55 The power of irrationality in humanity's story10:41 Layman's book on Nietzsche12:00 The Integral Nietzsche14:13 What if Nietzsche hadn't gone mad?16:06 The enlightened Nietzsche19:33 The shamanic Nietzsche22:04 What is metashamanics?23:07 Shamanic neurodivergence26:26 Attributes of the well-adjusted shaman28:33 Liminality and the epochal emergence of the shamanic31:31 The shamanoid Elvis33:17 The reality of entities37:05 Layman Pascal: pragmatist?47:12 The power of trance51:50 The muse as entity56:34 Layman's guest recommendation57:59 More from Layman

Dr Stefano Carpani is an Italian Jungian psychoanalyst, lecturer at the C.G. Jung Institute Zürich, and scientific consultant at Pacifica Graduate Institute. At 46, he has emerged as a leading voice amongst a new generation of Jungian thinkers, bridging depth psychology with sociology, critical theory, and contemporary political questions. In this conversation, Stefano and I explore the landscape of contemporary Jungian thought, beginning with his distinction between Jungian, post-Jungian, and neo-Jungian approaches—where neo-Jungians like himself aim to make analytical psychology relevant to 21st-century crises beyond the consulting room. We discuss his I+I theory, which synthesises Jung's individuation with sociologist Ulrich Beck's individualization, arguing that contemporary identity formation requires both psychological and sociological lenses to understand. Stefano shares insights from his award-winning work on the fall of the Berlin Wall, explaining how the numinous—an autonomous psychic force Jung described—operates in collective historical transformation, suggesting that major shifts require not just political will but adequate psychic conditions and "the attraction of the symbol." We explore the concept of enantiodromia, Jung's idea that psychological and cultural movements tend to revert to their opposites when pushed too far, applying this to contemporary political polarisation and populism. Throughout, Stefano makes a compelling case for why Jungian analysts must engage courageously with war, democracy, and social transformation, bringing depth psychology out of the clinic and into public discourse.🔗 Links- For Jungian monthly talks organised by Stefano: https://www.instagram.com/jungianeum_/ and https://www.youtube.com/@psychosocialwednesdays1944/videos- Stefano's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHpWRYvgyhifcVkNGk9Tq-A ⏳ Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:08 Stefano, the international Jungian02:21 Jungians vs. Post-Jungians vs. Neo-Jungians07:27 The Post-Jungians10:15 The Neo-Jungians12:50 Classical Jungians vs. Developmental vs. Archetypal15:40 James's case for a Jungian textbook20:01 The Jungian language barrier23:20 The hindrance of jargon27:11 Stefano's sociological Jungian work31:49 Bringing the unconscious into everyday life34:52 Covid through the lens of Jung35:49 The fallacy of the end of history38:05 The fall of the Berlin Wall as a numinous event43:33 Moments of memetic infection47:16 History makers as artists49:42 Jungian lens on contemporary politics50:53 Returning to memetic infection58:24 What is enantiodromia?01:00:12 Populism and energetic release01:04:33 Stefano's guest recommendations01:05:18 Where to find out more about Stefano

Get Jon's book "End of the World: Civilization and Its Fate": https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/end-of-the-world-9781538189016/_______________ Dr Jon Mills is a philosopher-psychoanalyst and Honorary Professor at the University of Essex, whose work bridges Hegelian philosophy, psychoanalytic theory, and contemporary existential threats facing civilisation. With over 35 books to his name—including five Gradiva Award winners—Jon has spent decades developing what he calls “dialectical psychoanalysis,” a rigorous philosophical framework for understanding the unconscious mind. His latest work, which we’re discussing in this episode, confronts an uncomfortable question: does humanity possess a collective death drive that propels us towards self-destruction?_______________ You can find Jon’s work at:Website: https://www.philosophypsychoanalysis.comPublications: https://www.philosophypsychoanalysis.com/academics-psychoanalysis-philosophy_______________In this conversation, I sit down with Jon to explore the darkest questions about our species’ future. We examine whether humanity harbours a death wish, diving into the multiple existential crises threatening civilisation—climate change, nuclear weapons, AI risks, geopolitical conflict, and overpopulation/demographic collapse. Jon brings his formidable philosophical toolkit to bear on these challenges, drawing from Hegel, Freud, and his own dialectical framework to understand how good and evil operate simultaneously in human affairs. We debate techno-optimism versus existential pessimism, explore the psychology behind apocalyptic thinking, and we talk about my previous episode on secular eschatology and we discuss what that reveals about our relationship with mortality. We’re left with the question of whether our species can transcend its self-destructive patterns or whether we’re inexorably drawn towards catastrophe._______________⏳Timestamps00:00 James’s Intro01:21 Claude AI’s intro to Jon02:16 Jon’s prolific output02:59 Does humanity have a death wish?04:13 The collective forces at play05:57 Collective and the collective unconscious09:03 What we mean by humanity - metaphor or reality?11:03 The crises facing humanity today12:25 What Jon wanted to achieve with the book15:45 Universal pessimism?19:41 James on demographic collapse23:29 Poverty decline globally25:21 Optimism on climate26:09 China and the Thucydides Trap27:45 James on AI concerns28:16 Negative trends in prejudice and freedom31:03 The psychology of the Thucydides Trap34:35 Good and evil are operative at once36:43 James’s secular eschatology thesis41:45 Why are most apocalypse predictions Western?43:26 Apocalypse as death-cope44:39 Apocalypse as unmet need gone rotten?45:35 Jon’s relationship with death48:18 Jon’s guest recommendation: Michael Montgomery

P.F. Jung, a YouTube creator and 'memetic feudal lord', dives deep into the concept of 'Enlightened Centrism', examining the struggle of maintaining nuanced political views in today's polarized climate. He discusses the challenges of bridging gaps between extremes and the importance of engaging in dialogue rather than dehumanizing opposing views. Jung also explores the limits of centrism, the historical significance of bold governance, and how social media dynamics impact political discourse. His insights aim to reclaim complexity in a world demanding binary allegiance.

Brendan Graham Dempsey, a metatheory researcher at the Institute of Applied Metatheory and host of the Metamodern Meaning podcast, delves into the measurement of worldviews and cultural evolution. He discusses how we can quantify complexity in human thought, exploring the application of hierarchical complexity in various texts. Brendan also highlights the surprising insights from scoring ancient texts and modern literature, while addressing the implications of cognitive complexity in societal contexts and its relation to educational systems.

Greg Dember, a Seattle-based musician and researcher on metamodernism, explores the cultural landscape shaping contemporary thought. He defines metamodernism as a response to postmodernism, emphasizing the significance of interiority and felt experience. The conversation highlights how artists like Sufjan Stevens and filmmakers like the Daniels weave irony with earnestness to create deep emotional connections. Dember also shares his 11 methods for recognizing metamodern art, illustrating the movement's presence from indie culture to mainstream icons like Billie Eilish.

Dr. Erik Goodwyn is a practising psychiatrist with a background in neurobiology who bridges the worlds of neuroscience, Jungian psychology, and fantasy. Erik is co-editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Jungian Studies and as well as dozens of academic papers he has written books on the neurobiology of the gods, dreams, and archetypes, and this year published his first fantasy novel, King of the Forgotten Darkness, which won the Literary Titan Golden Book Award.You can find Erik's work at:Website: https://erikgoodwyn.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theimaginariumIn this conversation, I sit down with Erik to explore the neuroscience of dreams and their connection to creativity, trauma, and healing. We dive deep into how the default mode network operates during dreaming, why dreams create "as if" narratives to help us make sense of our lives, and how the psyche uses metaphor to consolidate memory, regulate emotions, and plan for the future. Erik shares fascinating insights from his clinical work, including how trauma dreams evolve during the healing process and why some dreams seem to bookend creative projects. We also venture into the realm of fantasy literature, discussing how writers like Tolkien and Sanderson use fantastical elements to tell deeply human stories about real lived experiences.⏳Timestamps00:00 James's Intro01:31 Beginning: Wyoming, Mountain Time, and writing fantasy03:24 Architects vs. Gardeners: Erik's writing process08:16 The divine child archetype in therapy dreams09:13 "as if": how dreams create meaning through metaphor11:58 Dreams in crisis mode vs. exploratory mode (PTSD example)15:08 Memory consolidation and forward planning in dreams16:37 The default mode network during dreaming19:32 Creativity and the default mode network24:19 Dream sequences: Exploration of themes across multiple dreams29:27 The body's natural healing process through dreams40:58 Ernest Hartman and contextualizing metaphors42:14 What is fantasy really about? Beyond escapism43:01 Tolkien's Lord of the Rings as meditation on the problem of evil43:04 Evil and grace in Middle-earth45:29 Morgoth, Sauron, and the continuation of evil46:37 Guest recommendation: Stefano Carpani47:19 Where to find Erik

https://cjthex.com/subscribe → subscribe to CJ's mailing list for all things CJ the X https://tinyurl.com/asdi708uo → buy tickets to CJ's show in San Francisco, CA on the 10th OctoberI sat down with CJ the X recently to discuss the creative process, pragmatism, their recent world tour and later in the weird world of dreams. We also talk about the topic that first brought us together many moons ago: Jordan Peterson and CJ's year long deep dive into him that dragged him deeper into the philosophical quest. ⏳Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction01:39 - Reflections on CJ's Intercontinental Speaking Tour05:56 - Wrestling with the need to be right10:27 - Play, fear and the creative process15:27 - Colonised by the algorithm17:47 - Search for Signal19:27 - Exploring the Balance of Routine and Passion23:52 - Flywheel or Passion?26:14 - CJ's journey from chaotic fun to serious philosophy27:33 - CJ done with YouTube?32:28 - CJ's Jordan Peterson video36:28 - James's struggle with intellectual responsibility40:43 - CJ on why passion has to be the guide44:18 - Is CJ a Platonist or a Pragmatism45:55 - CJ on the sacred and the profane47:11 - James on holding knowledge lightly48:39 - The Metaphysical Club49:48 - The strands of pragmatism50:34 - C.S. Peirce51:18 - William James and Peirce's Relationship53:44 - Pragmatism and Jordan Peterson55:55 - What is Pragmatism?57:17 - Pragmatism vs. Postmodernism1:00:48 - Is Western civilisation the peak?1:01:35 - Peterson's Pragmatic Christianity 1:04:19 - The dangers of high status1:05:51 - CJ's lessons learned from speaking tour1:11:28 - CJ's Anti-mimetic attitude1:14:55 - James starting Jungian Masters1:15:38 - James on Dreams1:16:55 - CJ's troubled relationship with the dreamworld1:19:32 - Dreams and creativity1:24:40 - CJ on James's excessive curiosity1:26:18 - CJ's read on James's alien dreams1:27:36 - Connection between dreams and creativity1:30:01 - James wants to study CJ's dreams1:34:44 - Wrapping up1:35:27 - CJ's Guest Recommendations

Gary Clark, a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide and author focused on the intersection of Jungian psychology and neuroscience, discusses how psychedelics provide new insights into Jung's theories of the collective unconscious. He explores the roles of primary and secondary consciousness, and how psychedelics can reveal deeper archetypal layers of the mind. Clark also addresses cross-cultural motifs observed in psychedelic experiences, challenges some mainstream assumptions, and considers the therapeutic potential of mystical experiences for mental health.