Best Rupert Sheldrake Podcasts (2025)

1
Does nature really obey laws? A dialogue with Rupert Sheldrake 41:52

1d ago41:52

41:52

The conviction that the natural world is obedient, adhering to laws, is a widespread assumption of modern science. But where did this idea originate and what beliefs does it imply? In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon discuss the impact on science of the Elizabethan lawyer, Francis Bacon. His New Instr…

1
The philosophy of fun | Myriam François, Freya India, James Tartaglia 50:35

1d ago50:35

50:35

The essential philosophy of fun Do we need to have fun or is it an unnecessary excess? Are we living in an age of fun's decline, what with the moralism and strictures of Gen Z, or is there something else going on? On this panel, our three guests - philosopher James Tartaglia, film-maker Myriam François, and writer Freya India - dive into the idea o…

1
"Enemies of the Human Race" William Blake on the disaster of atheism 24:38

5d ago24:38

24:38

William Blake opens the third part of his epic poem, Jerusalem: the Emanation of the Giant Albion, with an astonishing remark. “He never can be a friend of the Human Race who is the Preacher of Natural Morality or Natural Religion.” The declaration is shocking because today, two hundred years since he first printed these lines, naturalistic explana…

1
Neoliberalism: A Soviet nightmare | Abby Innes 31:25

6d ago31:25

31:25

There is an old Soviet joke, ‘Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man. Communism is its exact opposite.’ On the surface, neoliberalism, with its emphasis on free markets, competition and privatisation, is as far removed as possible from the Soviet Union. But behind the policies, could they be guided by the same false utopianism? Abby Innes, pr…

1
The dark side of chasing rewards | Paul Bloom, Nancy Sherman, and Dan Ariely 46:48

9d ago46:48

46:48

Something for nothing Do rewards and incentives damage our humanity? In much of our personal and professional lives, we receive rewards for good behaviour and carrying out our responsibilities. But, evidence now suggests there are risks to this approach. Studies show rewards can damage wellbeing, fostering dependence and undermining our own sense o…

1
Merely Christianity? Discerning the Spirit of a Revival. A conversation with Elizabeth Oldfield 42:35

12d ago42:35

42:35

There is undoubtedly a new spirit of interest in Christianity abroad in the presumed secular world. Some increases in church-going are even showing up in the stats. But what can be made of the curiosity? Is it straightforwardly to be welcomed? Are there dark sides to newfound enthusiasms? Elizabeth Oldfield is the author of Fully Alive and host of …

1
Rethinking the Enlightenment | Historian Aviva Chomsky 26:24

15d ago26:24

26:24

The spectre of the Enlightenment What the Enlightenment a net positive or a net negative? Or is that the wrong question, and should we look at it simply as a historical period? Join Professor of History Aviva Chomsky as she dissects one of the most important periods in modern history from the lens of a critical historian. The Enlightenment was not …

1
S2 Ep5: Reality is a process | Matthew Segall at PhilosophyEAST 1:28:45

16d ago1:28:45

1:28:45

Matthew David Segall is a contemporary American philosopher working in the tradition of process-relational philosophy. He describes himself as a “process philosopher” and transdisciplinary researcher, reflecting his commitment to bridging multiple fields. Segall’s work builds on the metaphysical framework of Alfred North Whitehead, extending White…

1
Was Karl Marx misunderstood? | Terry Eagleton on the forgotten ideals of Marxism 24:23

20d ago24:23

24:23

Why Marx was right Having fallen out of favour around the turn of the century, Marxism is now back in fashion, often playing the role of an alternative to the increasingly right-wing politics of the modern world. Once the guiding ideology of Korean guerillas and Hampstead screenwriters alike, Marxism is back and taking universities and intellectual…

1
The power and the pitfalls of narrative | Matthew Beaumont, Ruth Padel, and Theodore Dalrymple 42:34

23d ago42:34

42:34

Lost in stories Is life a story or a sequence of events? Our narratives enable us to make sense of the complex, often confusing, world that we live in. And yet there is a risk that rather than helping us to truly understand this world, narratives can hide reality from us, providing delusional states of mind in its place. From witch hunts to cults, …

1
The Unity of Being and the very great things Ibn ‘Arabi made of it 33:38

29d ago33:38

33:38

Ibn ‘Arabi is arguably the greatest philosopher in the Islamic world, though controversial; Seal of the Mohammedan Saints, as he is known, alongside Shaykh al-Akbar, he is becoming more important again, especially against a backdrop of fundamentalism. Born into a noble family in Anadalusian, Moorish Spain, he adopted the Sufi way of life after a re…

1
Reflections on mental health today | Interview | Susie Orbach 23:02

30d ago23:02

23:02

The dark side of 'mental health' with Susie Orbach Why are psychotherapy, psychology, psychoanalysis, therapy so popular today? Do these respond to a new need in our society or are they evolutions of age-old human approaches to resolution and knowing oneself? Join psychotherapist and psychoanalyst (famously Princess Diana's therapist!) Susie Orbach…

1
Andalusia and machine anxiety. How new technology in Moorish Spain sparked insights that help us now 27:36

1M ago27:36

27:36

The extraordinary spread of Islam after 632 - from Central Asia to North Africa in a century - reached Europe from the eighth century, generating issues still energising to this day. Not ones of religion, though, but of technology. Within a few generations, the devices of the new civilisation hit the Iberian peninsula: vertical axis windmills, the …

1
Jesus is the only God. And so am I and so are you. William Blake’s mystical Christianity 18:30

1M ago18:30

18:30

The first in a series of talks I’ll be posting in anticipation of my new book, Awake! William Blake and the Power of the Imagination, out in June/Sept (UK/US). Do consider pre-ordering! (Thanks: it really helps early sales and so bookshop notice.) “The best overall study of Blake I have encountered in a very long time. A joy to read, well worthy of…

1
The life and philosophy of Peter Singer | In conversation with Myriam François 25:56

1M ago25:56

25:56

Peter Singer is one of the world's leading philosophers, renowned for his challenging and often controversial views. From animal ethics to effective altruism, Singer has shaped the philosophical landscape. In this episode we uncover the key events in his life that led to his ideas, and hear him answer his critics and defend the convictions that hav…

1
The price of everything, value of nothing | Politics series | Daniel Susskind, Abby Innes, Will Hutton, Richard Kibble 51:30

1M ago51:30

51:30

Under capitalism, it can be hard to disentangle an idea of 'value' from that which the market sets as 'valuable' - that is to say, expensive items. Is the price mechanism in any way a useful or accurate way of representing value, or are we unable to measure what we really value through it? Join our panel of four diverse social scientists to make se…

1
Ep 90: A Call For Bravery, Peace, and Self Love w/Regina Cates 53:33

1M ago53:33

53:33

Episode Summary: Regina Cates joins me on the show to discuss her latest book The Real Conversations Jesus Wants Us to Have: A Call to Bravery, Peace, and Love. This episode is part memoir, part social commentary, and part call to action for those of us who grew up in religious fundamentalism and have found our way out to a bigger, broader, and mor…

1
The crisis of the new | Stanley Fish, Claire Hynes, and Martin Puchner 59:13

1M ago59:13

59:13

Is genuine originality a realistic goal for artists? From fashion to fantasy, entertainment to enterprise, we seek the 'new' as the means to originality, change, and creativity. And for the most part, we imagine the new is always identifiable as a radical break from the past. But the nature of the new is more elusive and unknown than it first appea…

1
Sartre vs Baldwin | Joanna Kavenna, Jonathan Webber, and Marie-Elsa Bragg 44:30

2M ago44:30

44:30

We take it for granted that through language and communication we can learn about the experience of others. But it remains unknown whether we can fully know what it is like to be another human being. James Baldwin and Jean-Paul Sartre take radically different approaches. For Sartre, the experience of others is unknown to us. Fundamentally, we are a…

1
The philosophy of geopolitics SPECIAL | Donald Trump, Homer's Odyssey, and Korean Web Novels 43:55

2M ago43:55

43:55

What do Friedrich Nietzsche, the Korean War, and Homer's Odyssey have in common? Join the team at the IAI for four articles about the history and philosophy of geopolitics, ranging from Nietzsche's impact on Russia's imperialist strategies to the importance of Ancient Greek tragedies during the decline of the West. Written by Slavoj Žižek, John Mil…

1
S2 Ep4: What is liberalism? | Helen Pluckrose at PhilosophyEAST 1:33:48

2M ago1:33:48

1:33:48

The exploration of ‘views’ (drishti in Sanskrit) has always been an essential part of the Buddhist tradition. PhilosophyEAST is a series of events exploring ideas and views that have a bearing on the dharma-life. Whilst not all the views of our guests necessarily express Buddhist values, our intention is to explore where contemporary thought and id…

1
The philosophy of dehumanisation | David Livingstone Smith 31:21

2M ago31:21

31:21

The philosophy of dehumanisation with David Livingstone Smith In this exclusive interview, philosopher David Livingstone Smith explores the history, nature, and evolution of dehumanisation. As what is 'acceptable' in society changes, so do the tactics of undercover dehumanisation. How can we identify these, and how might we progress? Smith's soluti…

1
Christ the turning point. Owen Barfield in a secular age. A conversation with Ashton Arnoldy 1:32:04

2M ago1:32:04

1:32:04

Owen Barfield was the genius Inkling, said CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. But why does he so much matter today? They consider how Owen Barfield addresses the idea of secularism developed by Charles Taylor and why that might matter in a cultural moment that feels like a folk in the road. They speak personally of how Barfield touched them and why his insi…

1
Consciousness is quantum mechanical | Stuart Hameroff 30:10

2M ago30:10

30:10

Consciousness is one of the most fundamental aspects of our existence, but it remains barely understood, even defined. Across the world scholars of many disciplines - philosophy, science, social science, theology - are joined on a quest to understand this phenomenon. Tune into one of the more original and controversial thinkers at the forefront of …

1
Ep 89: We’re Done: Womanism in MAGA America w/Dr. Angela Parker 56:17

2M ago56:17

56:17

Episode Summary: You need to sit down for this episode. Mercer University’s Dr. Angela Parker joins me today on the podcast for a heart-wrenching conversation about white supremacy, intersectionality, womanist theology, authoritarian Christianity, decolonization, Kamala Harris, and her sought-after book, If God Still Breathes, Why Can’t I? Accordin…

1
Defending panpsychism | Philosophers Philip Goff and Hilary Lawson 25:37

2M ago25:37

25:37

Metaphysics vs consciousness Panpsychism has recently become something of a household term in philosophical and scientific conversations alike. Deceivingly simple, it defends the view that consciousness is the primary 'stuff' of reality, and that all things have mind-like qualities. Join philosopher Philip Goff, one of the world's leading defenders…

1
Consciousness beyond the brain | Rupert Sheldrake 31:25

2M ago31:25

31:25

Re-thinking the limits of the mind Most scientists think that consciousness is created by the brain. After all, most assume consciousness vanishes if the brain is destroyed. But what if this consensus view is radically mistaken? Join distinguished scientist Rupert Sheldrake as he argues that the mind extends beyond the brain and explores the radica…

1
Reconnecting With Religious Roots, with Bishop Marc Andrus 33:43

2M ago33:43

33:43

A dialogue with Marc Andrus, former Bishop of California, at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. Our ancestors’ lives from birth to death were shaped and structured by spiritual traditions but today many people are no longer connected to religious festivals or practices. This loss of religious faith in unprecedented, and in 2016 in the UK a survey show…

1
S2 Ep3: Precognitive dreams, time and consciousness | Gary Lachman at PhilosophyEAST 1:19:46

3M ago1:19:46

1:19:46

Gary Lachman in conversation with Maitreyabandhu about his work on the evolution of consciousness and the history of the occult, focusing on experiences of precognition explored in his recent book Dreaming Ahead of Time. Lachman has written biographies of Aleister Crowley, Rudolf Steiner, C. G. Jung, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, and Colin Wilson, as …

1
Living in an Age of Spiritual Crisis 52:56

3M ago52:56

52:56

Much of the modern world has become uncoupled from the transcendent in a cultural experiment Nietzsche called the death of God. But might this spiritual crisis prove to be a time of rebirth? In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, recorded live at an event organised by the Temenos Academy, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon discuss the evo…

1
Living in an Age of Spiritual Crisis. A conversation with Rupert Sheldrake & Mark Vernon 57:07

3M ago57:07

57:07

Much of the modern world has become uncoupled from the transcendent in a cultural experiment Nietzsche called the death of God. But might this spiritual crisis prove to be a time of rebirth? In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, recorded live at an event organised by the Temenos Academy, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon discuss the evo…

1
The consciousness test | Yoshua Bengio, Sabine Hossenfelder, Nick Lane, and Hilary Lawson 50:19

3M ago50:19

50:19

The consciousness test Could an artificial intelligence be capable of genuine conscious experience? Coming from a range of different scientific and philosophical perspectives, Yoshua Bengio, Sabine Hossenfelder, Nick Lane, and Hilary Lawson dive deep into the question of whether artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT could one day become self…

1
Ep 88: The Historical Jesus w/John Dominic Crossan 1:02:21

3M ago1:02:21

1:02:21

Episode Summary: John Dominic Crossan is the world’s most prominent Jesus scholar. He joins me today on Holy Heretics to discuss what we can, and what we cannot, know about the life of this first century Jewish peasant. Unlike traditional theological portrayals of Jesus, which center primarily on his death and resurrection, Crossan’s scholarship fo…

1
Longtermism SPECIAL: The next stage of effective altruism 33:04

3M ago33:04

33:04

Should we sacrifice the present for a better future? Join the team at the IAI for three articles about effective altruism, longtermism, and the complex evolution of moral thought. Written by William MacAskill, James W. Lenman, and Ben Chugg, these three articles pick apart the ethical movement started by Peter Singer, analysing its strengths and we…

1
The Healing Power of Animals, with Bishop Marc Andrus at Grace Cathedral 31:34

3M ago31:34

31:34

A dialogue with Marc Andrus, former Bishop of California, at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. Many people who keep pets have experienced their ability to comfort and heal. There is now a pet therapy movement where people take dogs and cats into hospices and children’s hospitals, and the human animal bond can help many physical and mental issues. In …

1
The lure of Lucifer | Terry Eagleton, Susan Neiman, and Stephen de Wijze 37:22

3M ago37:22

37:22

Why do we love evil? We may condemn tyrants and abhor serial killers, but we are obsessed with evil and violence. Our news and our entertainment focus on such material. Are we fascinated by evil, violent characters because they make life more exciting? Or because they express our true nature? Should we look to end this morbid obsession, or accept i…

1
The relationship between morality and power | Philosophers Tommy Curry, Michael Huemer, Melis Erdur 1:04:21

3M ago1:04:21

1:04:21

Morality and prejudice Is there such a thing as morality? And, if so, can we know what it is and act on it? Or is morality rather a shield for the powerful and a defence of their interest? The answer may have life-changing consequences... Join a heated debate between three philosophers with three different perspectives on the meaning of morality an…

1
Ep 87: MAGA Christians and the Sin of Empathy w/Gary Alan Taylor 51:36

3M ago51:36

51:36

Episode Summary: I wrote an article almost two weeks ago titled, Trump’s Willing Executioners. Drawing on my graduate work in Holocaust Studies, I compared and contrasted the MAGA movement and Nazi Germany, and in particular, the glaring lack of empathy championed by both cults. The article went viral, encouraging me to consider a more robust analy…

1
The Abolition of Man, That Hideous Strength, Till We Have Faces. CS Lewis as prophet of dark times 1:18:52

3M ago1:18:52

1:18:52

A discussion with Jason Baxter, Nicholas Colloff and Mark Vernon. The Abolition of Man is a series of three lectures given by C.S. Lewis in defence of objective value, arguing that modernity has undermined our humanity by uncoupling intellect from instinct. With hearts divorced from minds, first the world empties of presence, then life empties of m…

1
Humans are not morally superior | Alex O'Connor 27:57

3M ago27:57

27:57

Humans are not morally superior Is the meat industry a monstrous tyrant? Join YouTuber Alex O'Connor for a thought-provoking talk on the ethics, or lack thereof, of eating meat. From a horrifying look at the practices of the meat industry to provocative analogies and compelling arguments, Alex doesn't hold back as he holds up a mirror to our modern…

1
Is morality human? | Peter Singer, Slavoj Žižek, Nancy Sherman 53:18

3M ago53:18

53:18

Humanity and the gods of nature Do animals and nature have an ethical life of their own? Must, or should, we extend our morality to non-human entities, or are their limits to notions of ethics? Tune in to hear three world-famous philosophers on ethical issues discuss these questions from their different perspectives: Peter Singer has made a name fo…

1
Nietzsche on overcoming nihilism | Philosopher Babette Babich 18:03

4M ago18:03

18:03

Nietzsche, the birth of tragedy, and the technology trap with Babette Babich Do life's struggles make the search for meaning a hopeless endeavour? Join renowned, continental philosopher Babette Babich as she explains the Nietzschean path to finding purpose, arguing that we must embrace all elements of life - good and bad - in our search for a meani…

1
Ancient Philosophy SPECIAL | Plato's Gymnasium, Celebrity Messiahs, and Bronze Age Economics 31:27

4M ago31:27

31:27

What can ancient philosophers teach you about exercise, economics, and the myth of celebrity? Join the team at the IAI for three articles about life, ideas, and status in ancient Greece. Written by Etienne Helmer, Steve Fuller, and Sabrina B. Little, these articles cover a range of thought-provoking concepts, including; why Plato wants you to go fo…

1
Evolution. From natural selection to omega point. A conversation with Rupert Sheldrake 35:13

4M ago35:13

35:13

Darwinian evolution shapes modern biology, but the notion of evolution has a wider history, too. In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon explore linear and cyclical conceptions of human and cosmic evolution and ask what they can mean in the modern world, where innovation and evolution appear to be escalat…

1
Evolution: From Natural Selection to Omega Point 35:13

4M ago35:13

35:13

Watch: https://youtu.be/_ywyQIFMtQE Darwinian evolution shapes modern biology, but the notion of evolution has a wider history, too. In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon explore linear and cyclical conceptions of human and cosmic evolution and ask what they can mean in the modern world, where innovatio…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Rupert Sheldrake Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen