Life Examined

When it comes to intimate relationships one size does not fit all. Marriage and monogamy have a long history dating back thousands of years and even today value the emotional and financial security that comes with “tying the knot.” Research suggests however that happiness is not exclusive to those who are in monogamous relationships. Some people are happiest single and others choose many lovers. Polyamory or consensual non-monogamy is under increased scrutiny offering couples new ways to redefine their relationship. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

If you go back far enough in time our common ancestor might be a cuddle fish or an octopus. Though evolution has taken us on different paths, there is still much that connects us to the animal world and to the thoughts and experiences that give it shape. Philosopher and scientist Peter Godfrey-Smith explores the oceans and provides some illuminating insight on the origins of the mind and the nature of consciousness. Also poet and author Aimee Nezhukumatathil on how observing the natural world may mean more than we realize for our physical and mental health. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Historically men have been the figureheads of our religious institutions but it has been women who have played a fundamental role in establishing and sustaining them. How has religion shaped the way we think about gender? Is it time for a more expansive vision for women from within the church? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

The peaceful transition of power for the first time in US history appeared to hang in the balance this week. Americans around the country witnessed the breakdown of an assumptive world and the violation of the US Capitol left many saddened, confused and angry. How should we make sense of what has happened without normalizing what we have seen? What happens to ferment this type of extremist behaviour? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

The novel coronavirus pandemic is a daily reminder of how quickly life can change. Theoretical physicist Brian Greene joins KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian and discusses the meaning of impermanence and living in the here and now. Poet and essayist Jane Hirshfield explains why poets treasure pondering life’s abysses and how words and imagery disseminate the world around us. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian talks with Rabbi Steve Leder the Senior Rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple and author of the upcoming book “The Beauty of What Remains: How Our Greatest Fear Becomes Our Greatest Gift” Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Modern humans are an indoor species. In normal times, the majority of us spend nearly 90% of our time shuttling between our homes, schools, stores, restaurants, and gyms. Yet unlike the great outdoors, we know relatively little about the indoor world in which we live. Just how much is our productivity and well being influenced by our indoor space? Can a small space nurture the creative process? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Infectious diseases have long shaped human history, from the 14th century Black Death and the 1918–19 influenza pandemic to today’s emergence of the COVID-19. As new vaccines are getting ready to be administered against this latest pandemic, what’s the long history behind their discovery? And why are they still hotly debated despite their many global public health successes in eradicating deadly diseases like smallpox and polio. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Many people yearn to feel connected to something larger than life. For some that’s a belief in God and religion, but that number is starting to dramatically decline. According to a 2019 Pew Research survey, a quarter of the US population today say they have no religious affiliation. Secularism has skyrocketed over the last three decades in America and added to that equation, there’s also an increase in self-described atheists, those who completely reject any form of supernatural deity. So why are Americans turning away from God and what does it mean to be an atheist in today’s America? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

KCRW’s Joanthan Bastian talks with author Nicole Krauss. Her latest collection of short stories is titled “To be a Man” Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Most people say merit-based success is the result of hard work and dedication. Those who achieve success typically enjoy the rewards: a better income, praise and recognition. Less talked about is the role of luck — like a natural born talent or timing and class. How do we reckon with a meritocratic society that is actually heavily stacked against those who are less fortunate? And in today’s society, if you want to compete and win in the global economy you need to go to college, but is the mantra “education, education, education” misplaced? Does a college degree further divide Americans into winners and losers? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Over the last 50 years, our notion of masculinity has been steadily changing. Feminism and the shift in gender roles has seen increasing parity between the sexes and culturally we’re embracing a diverse array of sexual identities. So how are these changes impacting our perceptions of what it means to be a man and can men unlearn the old models of sexism, patriarchy and aggression? And are men today actually much happier in more egalitarian relationships at work and more emotionally connected with family? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Americans today are deeply divided politically and even with an election around the corner that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. So what’s the solution to bridging the gap? How do we learn to talk to each other even when we vehemently disagree? Is there any value to taking the time to understand why people think differently, hear differing perspectives and experiences rather than arguing opinions and debating facts? Is, as Abraham Lincoln famously said, the “best way to destroy an enemy to make him a friend” and to recognize that what divides us politically also can unite us. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Psychedelics have been used for thousands of years but in a provocative new book “The Immortality Key” author Brian Muraresku explores their impact on early Western civilization. Were the ancient Greeks, Romans and early Chrisitians influenced in their religious practices by psychedelics? Psilocybin, known by many as magic mushrooms, is being used to treat an array of mental disorders, from anxiety and depression to addiction and end of life issues with profound effects for patients. Today, the medical community is once again embracing research into the therapeutic benefits of hallucinogens. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Just weeks away from a historic election, what role will religion play in influencing the candidates and getting out the vote? KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian talks with Randall Balmer, professor of religion at Dartmouth University and an episcopal priest who explains that the influence of religion in today’s political landscape is a relatively new phenomena in America’s history. Later we’ll ask two ministers whether leaders of faith should use their platforms to express their political points of view or should they stay silent? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Astrology has been used for centuries to provide meaning and guidance. How does that translate in 2020? Science dismisses the practice as silly and lightweight but today’s millennials are embracing astrology in record numbers and social media and smartphone apps have turned it into a booming business. What’s the appeal and why are young people turning away from traditional organized religion? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

The recent fires and extreme heat waves had a devastating impact on much of the west coast of America. In California, Oregan and Washington State thick smoke blanketed the region, confining millions of people to their homes for days. Will our rapidly changing climate impact not just how but where we chose to live? Is extreme weather impacting our emotional well being? And is there a better way to talk about climate change that’s less wonky and more relatable? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

At times of loss and crisis many of us turn to God, whether we believe or not. For some, the Gospels of the Bible provide wisdom and prayer comfort to recenter their lives but increasingly, everyday rituals at home and at work are providing that guidance. Are fitness classes and spiritual consultants filling the void in our spiritual lives? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

The most advanced technology ever discovered is the three pound organ encased inside our skulls. In his latest book, “Livewired” neuroscientist David Eagleman describes why our brains are constantly changing: the more the brain absorbs the more it adjusts. How has the pandemic impacted this amazing brain circuitry? And what are the impacts on children's brains, stuck at home with extended hours of screen time? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

For millennia, machines and innovation have transformed our society including our most intimate relationships with one another. The plow, washing machine, chatbots and Artificial Intelligence have shaped relationships in the past and continue to impact how we interact with each other today and into the future. Will new advances in technology diminish the need for human to human interaction? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

For those who love to surf, the act of riding the waves is both a physical and spiritual experience. But for some,it is also a religious one. Britt Merrick, surfer and former lead pastor of Reality Ministries in Carpinteria talks with KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian about surfing and its interconnection with his Christian faith. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

The pandemic has placed death and the acknowledgement of our mortality front and center in our consciousness and yet when it comes to dying, we understand little and do even less to prepare for it. Is there a good way to die? How do the funeral rights and bereavement rituals in other cultures provide solace and comfort? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Professor Yolanda Pierce, Dean of the Howard University School of Divinity, talks with KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian about the history and the legacy of the Black church and its connection with the Black Lives Matter movement. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Author Timothy Egan talks with KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian about walking the Via Francigena and how his experiences walking the pilgrim’s trail gave him a greater understanding of Christianity, life and faith. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Award-winning poet and essayist Jane Hirshfield joins KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian to talk about her latest collection of poems, "Ledger," Buddhism and the importance of words and imagery in times of great upheaval. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Deirdre Barrett, dream researcher and assistant professor of psychology at Harvard University, joins KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian to discuss how the prolonged global pandemic has impacted the way we dream. Why are we having such vivid dreams at this time — and why are so many of us dreaming about bugs and jail cells? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Deirdre Barrett, dream researcher and assistant professor of psychology at Harvard University, joins KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian to discuss how the prolonged global pandemic has impacted the way we dream. Why are we having such vivid dreams at this time — and why are so many of us dreaming about bugs and jail cells? Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Deepak Chopra, renowned wellness expert and author of “Metahuman: Unleashing your infinite potential,” joins KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian and offers his perspective on the current global pandemic. He says we are grieving an old way of life. Now is the moment to reevaluate our lives, habits and existence. Also, grief expert David Kessler explains why grief is an emotion that arises out of unwanted change. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

The novel coronavirus pandemic is a daily reminder of how quickly life can change. In his latest book, “Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe,” theoretical physicist Brian Greene talks about processing those changes, explores the meaning of impermanence, and explains the importance of living in the here and now. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris talks about the latest science behind trauma, and how toxic stress can literally change our brains, our immune systems and our genes. Also an imam and rabbi share how their faith, teachings, and prayer provide comfort and healing from trauma. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

The debut episode of KCRW’s show Foxhole features author Pico Iyer, who shares how these unusual times can be an opportunity for inner-growth. And a Hindu nun and Tibetan Buddhist teacher offer advice for how to quiet our minds when we’re alone and anxious. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe