This episode discusses the current and historical pressures for people to present themselves as being politically correct in their communications, presuming that this is evidence of being socially responsible and considerate of others. But it also looks at the dangers of our compulsions to imply our moral superiority over those who differ or disagree with us, and our tendency to prevent or avoid any discomfort (especially our own). It points out how our cultural tendencies toward narcissism and the misguided presumption that my discomfort must inevitably be someone else’s fault, may actually increase our discomfort rather than resolve it. Willingly enduring discomfort as a necessary piece of our growth process is examined as an antidote to the autocratic dangers of insisting on social conformity as the highest priority for our wellbeing.

This episode explores the difference between worldly and spiritual awareness, and between our awakening social consciousness and the radical transformation that ensues from true spiritual awakening. What are the key elements, dynamics, symptoms and consequences of spiritual awakening? How do they inform or impact our socio-political and mundane awareness? Can the socio-political pressure to be woke (or to resist being woke) be resolved in a way that supports spiritual health, vitality, and a social strength that is of benefit to all?

This episode explores the so-called Law of Karma— the inescapable cycle of cause and effect, and how it is both shaped by our past actions and may determine our future ones. It addresses common misperceptions and misuse of the word, and examines its centrality in the Asian doctrines of reincarnation as a driving and continuous force, but one that is ultimately ours to control if we so choose. It also explores how the consequence of actions can be mitigated and their roots burned to prevent endless repetition of the same problems— so that the binding nature of Karma can be transformed into a path to liberation, where Karma becomes Karma Yoga— union with the Divine through self-less action.

This episode examines mysticism as an experiential mode of learning that ultimately can harmonize the orthodox penchant for structure with the heretical inclination to transcend rules and regulations, for the greater good. If orthodoxy and heresy are two sides of the same coin, mysticism is the gold from which both are minted. The social and individual benefits that accrue to us through understanding this dynamic are huge, for in the final analysis, the healing of world and personal conflicts may depend upon it. Our tendency to compartmentalize areas of belief into spiritual and secular or worldly spheres, as if unrelated or even antithetical, is misguided. For we live in a world whose driving force has been the search for unity— whether as a unified theory, a political system, or emotional connection to each other and to the source from which we come.

This episode begins a two-part deep dive into the phenomenology of our notions of heresy and orthodoxy as being far more than a matter of religious history or interest. The tension between our instincts for freedom and transcendence on the one hand, and our need for agreement and security on the other, plays out in both the religious and secular spheres. Moreover, it is as alive today in our politics as it was during the dark days of the Inquisition, the Third Reich, and numerous other state-run and theocratic efforts to control a populace. Understanding the underlying motives and causes of these polarities is essential if we are to avoid repeating their destructive consequences.

This episode explores the various ways in which our thirst for agreement is not only driven by our desire for security and comfort, but by our fear of things, beliefs, and peoples we don’t understand. The sect or cult creates a sort of bubble of security though the company of like-minded people, but that security can be tenuous and vulnerable to attack if questioned. This episode explores the origins and dynamics of cult behavior, and how it may either inspire or enslave its participants. It also looks at the criteria that may determine whether membership in a sect or cult enlightens or blinds its participants, and what the responsibility of every seeker of understanding is to assure he or she is liberated, rather than victimized, by their participation.

This episode explores the widespread and but irrational tendency of people of faith to claim belief in a universal deity, but exclude that deity from all but their own tradition and preferences, and condemn those whose faith expresses itself in alternative forms. It examines the damaging consequences of ignorance, and the lack of critical thinking, both to intercultural and international relations, and to the integrity of the practice of faith itself. It also offers some insights into how, by the deliberate application of critical and associative thinking, we can reverse this damaging trend for our collective benefit.

Americans are particularly fond of promoting a notion of our national exceptionalism. Clearly, America can legitimately claim a lot of achievements and contributions to human society, but Americans can also be stunningly insensitive to and ignorant of the virtues and contributions of other cultures. This episode explores how sometimes a simple shift of perspective can have a radical effect on our perceptions, and examines the value of learning to deliberately step outside our habitual frames of reference to see things anew. Referencing films, personal experiences and the neurological patterns of our expectations, this chapter explores how we tailor data to fit our paradigms, and then project our corresponding expectations onto reality, often to our detriment. It also explores how we can widen the horizons of our perceptions, perhaps even achieving a genuinely human exceptionalism not bound by our specific culture or nationality.