Decoding the Gurus 6b3p30

The Decoders welcome back cognitive anthropologist Manvir Singh for a continued exploration into the social and cognitive dimensions of shamanism. Building upon their earlier conversation, this episode involves further discussion of the psychological mechanisms and cultural patterns that make shamanic practices a recurring feature across human societies. Drawing from Singh's latest book, Shamanism: The Timeless Religion (2025), the discussion addresses how these ancient practices persist and adapt in modern contexts. Taking our standard meandering conversational journey with Manvir, we traverse topics such as whether Jesus and the Buddha were shamans, the parallels between the Siberian tundra and Silicon Valley, the potential emergence of AI-driven shamans within virtual reality environments, and whether dialogos with Hermes counts as a soul flight. Something for all the family! Links Shamanism: The Timeless Religion by Manvir Singh (2025) Prof or Hobo website New Yorker: The President Who Became a Prophet Our first interview with Manvir Buckner, William. 2022. "A Deceptive Curing Practice in Hunter–Gatherer Societies" Humans 2, no. 3: 95-103. https://doi.org/10.3390/humans2030007

There’s been a disturbance in the Gurusphere. Two of its central objects of worship are feuding. The guru’s guru, Elon Musk, and the MAGA God-King, Donald Trump, have finally turned on each other, trading blows on social media. In this mini supplementary episode, Matt and Chris survey the shockwaves rippling through the Gurusphere as these titanic egos collide. It’s more slapfight than substance, but that hasn’t stopped gurus and sycophants from picking sides or iring the sheer brass balls on display. Look out for Lex Fridman’s outside-the-box solution, Eric Weinstein’s cryptic mutterings, and some hilarious takes from the comedic genius Francis Foster. Strap in. It’s petty, it’s absurd, and it’s all happening. Trump vs. Elon: The Gurusphere Reacts 00:00 Elon and Trump 00:26 Introduction: Elon and Trump are feuding 07:10 A little bit of context 13:11 The Gurusphere reacts 14:32 O'Fallon & Lindsay saw this coming 16:01 Eric's Trademark - Both Sidesing Obscurantism 20:38 The Big Dog's Take 24:01 Lex suggests we need a podcast! 27:10 Maculinity Hot Takes 29:50 Sensemakers Take Flight 31:17 Taleb's reasonable take! 32:14 Konstantin Climbs the Ladder of Chaos 36:37 The strategic Gaadfather & Scott Adams 37:28 Tech Bros praying for peace 39:25 The Red Scare MAGA Loyalist 40:36 Conspiratorial Narcissists and their Public Feuds 45:48 Sycophantic praise heals everything 47:07 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (49 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

Prepare for a hearty mix of culinary tips, avoidance of hypothetical scenarios, and the usual guru grievances. Will Jordan Peterson ever it he's a Christian? Is it ever truly possible to understand Sam Harris AND still disagree with him? And where does Joe Rogan's primal hate for owls come in? Tune in for at least some of the answers to these pressing questions in this bubbling broth of an episode. Supplementary Material 30 00:00 Introduction and Culinary Corner 12:29 The Buddhism Book cometh 14:09 Joe Rogan on Astrology 25:22 Rogan's Christian Conversion? 32:18 Rogan on Owls... 43:09 Jordan Peterson vs 20 Atheists 48:55 Is JBP a Christian? 54:34 It depends what you mean by believe... 01:00:22 Jordan Peterson vs. hypotheticals 01:13:54 Hancock Orbiters continue to be terrible 01:19:58 Sam Harris' Business Manager is kinda bad 01:26:22 Sam is being misinterpreted again 01:35:11 The Fundamentalist Impulse 01:38:09 Post-Debate Weinstein Activity 01:40:32 Sam Harris is still mad with Ezra Klein 01:48:39 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 49 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources - A good Irish Stew recipe - The Buddhism Book! - Joe Rogan Experience #2323 - Guy Fieri - Jubilee: Jordan Peterson vs 20 Atheists | Surrounded - Dan Richards' charming tweet to Flint - Professor Dave: Dan Richards is a Pointless Troll - "More From Sam": Religion, Deportations, Douglas Murray vs. Rogan, & Bill Maher's Dinner with Trump - “More From Sam”: Trump & Israel, Corruption, Free Speech Violations, the Democrats, & Ezra Klein - Sam Harris' Substack: What Whataboutery? - Sam and Ezra's email exchange - Vox: Charles Murray is once again peddling junk science about race and IQ. Podcaster and author Sam Harris is the latest to fall for it.

In this medium-decoding episode, Matt and Chris turn their attention to an unlikely venue for cutting-edge theoretical physics: Piers Morgan Uncensored. There, Eric Weinstein, renegade genius and uber guru, squares off with Sean Carroll, an actual physicist and popular science communicator, in what might generously be called a “debate.” Eric brings his usual mix of personality-focused historical revisionism, intentional technobabble, and performative outrage, complete with a conspiratorial tale of how physics was hijacked in 1983 by a single lecture (that Eric was naturally present at) and how Eric is the unacknowledged creator of Seiberg-Witten equations. Sean Carroll, meanwhile, does his best to explain in simple how scientific research works, what is lacking in Eric's 'theory', and why appearing on podcasts is not a replacement for publishing papers and peer review. Expect to hear one academic earnestly trying to summarise complex scientific topics, while one culture war celebrity / professional podcast guest decries how he has been constantly maligned, silenced, misunderstood, and generally ignored by the mainstream scientific establishment. And just when you think it is all over, prepare to be astounded by Piers Morgan's ultimate argument for God... Sources Piers Morgan Uncensored: “Don’t Talk About Physics Fight Club” Eric Weinstein vs Sean Carroll Science SHOWDOWN Eric's Geometric Unity paper Tim Nguyen & Theo Polya's Response to Geometric Unity Curt Jaimungal: Eric Weinstein's Theory of Everything "Geometric Unity" Explained Decoding the Gurus: Mick West & Eric Weinstein: UFO Tango

We enter the ontological in-between to try and spin up our paradigms to understand the next stage in relationship technology, the horrific damage of modern medicine, how Lucifer connects with wokeness, and the joys of bonding over outgroup hate. This one is a doozy... Supplementary Material 28 00:00 Introduction - On Dogs and Dough 04:37 Next Required Reading: The Buddhism Book! 07:50 Jordan Peterson, James Lindsay & Woke Lucifer 15:06 Aubrey Marcus' Sensual Sensemaking 34:10 Jordan Hall's Sensemaking Origin Story 39:09 Bret and Heather discuss cancer cures 44:10 The Miracle Cure of Ivermectin 46:07 Bret denounces ALL of modern medicine 49:26 Community Notes has Fallen to Goliath! 50:11 Theo Von, GSP, and the conspiratorial hell world 58:04 Dan Bongino gets what he deserves 01:05:57 Scott Adams has prostate cancer 01:07:20 Joe Biden's Cancer and Taylor Lorenz's Edgy Responses 01:09:13 Does Joe Biden hate affordable health care? 01:13:31 Hasan s the fray 01:19:36 Genetically Modified Skeptic denouncing outrage mongering and radicalisation 01:22:38 The totally hinged Zei Squirrel 01:24:25 Owen Jones vs Zei Squirrel 01:27:15 Unmasked by the Subreddit 01:31:42 The Heterodox Social Science Conference 2025 01:33:16 Stephen Pinker making bad choices 01:37:03 Jordan Peterson gets OUTRAGED over Harvard 01:41:13 The Anti-Establishment Two-Step 01:47:13 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 47 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources - Next Required Reading- Buddhism: A Journey through History - Jordan Peterson: When the Right Goes Too Far | Dr. James Lindsay | EP 544 - Jordan Peterson: A Dialogue So Dangerous, It Just Might Bring You Wisdom | John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall | EP 532 - Bret and Heather discussing cancer treatments - Bret denounces all of modern medicine and conspiracy hypothesises about community notes - Aubrey Marcus: A New Pattern Of Sacred Relationship Emerges | Vylana, Alana Beale, Dr. Marc Gafni - The Hill: Patel, Bongino dismiss Epstein conspiracy theories: ‘He killed himself’ - Genetically Modified Skeptic: The Alt-Right Pipeline Almost Got Me. Here’s Why It Failed - Taylor Lorenz's Biden cancer tweet - Vice: Joe Biden: It Would Be an Insult to My Dead Son for Everyone to Have Healthcare - The Biden campaign ad - The Heterodox Social Science Conference 2025 - Jordan Peterson: Reaction to Harvard: Scam? | Dr. Jordan B. Peterson | EP 545

Fresh from unbuckling their seatbelts on the Gliding Guru luxury jet and mooring the show’s mega-yacht, our decoders are feeling an unexpected surge of empathy for their last decoding subject, Gary Stevenson. It turns out that a bit of jet-lagged decadence really hones one's sensitivity to wealth inequality. Or maybe it’s just the natural response to voluntarily subjecting yourself to the truly insufferable world of the All-In podcast. That's right, this week you can vibe to the philosophical musings of a couple of Silicon Valley moguls, Chamath Palihapitiya, David Sacks, Jason Calacanis, and David Friedberg or as they call themselves: the Dictator, the Rainman, the , and the Sultan (yes, really). Revel in their tales of private jets, $500K club hips, and their noble quest to cut food stamps while engaging in hyper-elitist MAGA cheerleading. Plug in for a first-class tour through cognitive dissonance, private-jet populism, and your regular prescription of alternative media grievance mongering and conspiracy hypothesising. Perfect for anyone who enjoys listening to the top 0.01% share their insights and deep connection with the common man's struggles. Enjoy... because we certainly did not! Sources All-In Podcast: Trump's First 100 Days, Tariffs Impact Trade, AI Agents, Amazon Backs Down All-In Podcast: Trump wins! How it happened and what's next All-In Podcast: The Great Tariff Debate with David Sacks, Larry Summers, and Ezra Klein All-In Podcast Website

We exercise our ethnographic muscles as we revel in the esoteric dynamics of Australian Pool Culture, the mysteries of Eric Weinstein's theories as revealed by Curt Jaimungal, and the contradictions of MAGA cultists. Supplementary Material 28 00:00 Matt's Ethnography of Australian Swimming Culture 06:19 Pool Etiquette and Social Dynamics 08:46 Mutual Humiliation and Blackmail 08:51 Reciprocal Humiliation 12:01 Patreon Question of the Week 13:37 Curt Jaimungal explores Geometric Unity 19:12 The Weinsteinian Iceberg 26:38 Eric's Response to Curt 28:40 A potential doomsday device? 29:55 The wisdom of genuine seekers 35:00 The Pseudo Profundity Mask 38:19 Pandering to anti-'mainstream' science audiences 40:37 Earnest Fans 43:54 ive consumption at YouTube University 46:21 Independent Learning and  the Pitfalls of Self-Taught Knowledge 49:53 The Illusion of Easy Learning 56:00 Credentials vs. Actual Knowledge 59:46 Media Criticism & the Fifth Column 01:02:47 Priorities in the Media Business 01:04:29 Why is strong criticism so taboo? 01:08:25 Brand Building in the Alternative Media 01:12:02 Batya s the Fifth Column 01:16:37 Debating Tariffs 01:22:46 A rare instance of REAL disagreement in alternative media! 01:25:58 Sensitive MAGA Cultist Sycophancy 01:32:10 The Working Class don't want iPhones 01:41:06 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 43 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources - The Fifth Column #502 - The Second Battle of Batya (w/ Batya Ungar-Sargon) - The Fifth Column #503 - Mea Minima Culpa - The Fifth Column Only #258 - We Don't Talk About Fight Club (Mostly) - Curt Jaimungal - Eric Weinstein's Theory of Everything "Geometric Unity" Explained - Curt Jaimungal - Chris Langan: The Most In-Depth Interview with the World's Smartest Man - Eric's Twitter response to Curt - Josh Rogin's (mild) criticism of Bill Maher

The podcast arrives at 'late stage' Gary discourse as Matt and Chris attempt to enter the man, the myth, and the legend, Gary Stevenson, into a reductive classification system (that once again includes no mention of inequality). The gurometer was not built to handle this level of elite education and trading acumen, and has often been dismissed by arrogant elites due to its scrappy nature and lack of fancy credentials... but it persists. Just , an attack on the Gurometer is ultimately an attack on you, your family, and all you hold dear. Sources Reddit thread asking us to do better Jacobin: Portrait of the Trader as a Young Rebel Richard Murphy's analysis of Gary's Economics Tax Policy Associates' analysis of some tax reform proposals Gary on Twitter explaining that traders understand the economy a lot better than economists like Piketty and Stiglitz The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (47 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Gurometer of Gary 01:02 Gary Stevenson: Other Opinions 07:31 Gary's Wealth Tax Proposal 12:21 Guru Features and Scoring 13:11 Galaxy Brainness 15:34 Cultishness 18:04 Anti-Establishmentarianism 20:04 Grievance Mongering 23:15 Self Aggrandisement and Narcissism 24:25 Cassandra Complex 25:40 Revolutionary Theories 28:12 Pseudo Profound Bullshit 30:07 Conspiracy Mongering 32:21 Excessive Profiteering 34:24 Moral Grandstanding 36:14 Guru Scoring and Analysis 37:34 Quick Fire Guru Bonus Points 40:37 Matt's confusing Binary Measure

In this episode, Matt and Chris take a look at one of the UK’s most compelling economic crusaders: Gary Stevenson, aka Gary’s Economics. A millionaire trader turned YouTube firebrand, Gary’s message is simple and potent: wealth inequality is spiralling, the ultra-rich are hoarding everything, and economists and politicians are either complicit or clueless. Gary’s story has all the trappings of a mythic arc: from humble East London roots to Citibank’s trading floor, where he made millions betting against the poor during the financial crisis. Now he claims the system is so broken that only someone like him, working class and mathematically gifted, someone who entered the high-power world of financial trading and took on the system, could see it. As Gary puts it, a sort of economic Copernicus, who brought a revolutionary message that was dismissed by a stultifying orthodoxy. With his righteous critique comes a hefty dose of swagger, whether it is in considering himself like a Usain Bolt of trading or in the frequent laments about how exhausting it is to be a lone voice of truth facing bad-faith hit pieces. Gary straddles an odd tension: self-effacing underdog one moment, saviour-on-a-soapbox the next. He rails against academia, dismisses journalists as clickbait merchants, and urges people not to heed critics, due to their ulterior motives. Our hosts explore the contradictions of a millionaire revolutionary who's not even bothered but also a bit miffed the phone isn’t ringing; a tireless advocate for the poor but also someone who seems to frequently drop in his elite credentials and just how rich he is. So strap in for a deep dive into charisma, critique, and class warfare economics. Is Gary the economic truth-teller we need, or a populist guru-in-the-making with revolutionary zeal and a finely tuned YouTube brand? Sources Gary's Economics- Understand the Economy Part 3: Why is Inequality Ignored? Gary's Economics- g off: How close are we to winning higher taxes on the rich? Novara Media- Everything They Tell You About the Economy is WRONG | Aaron Meets Gary Stevenson Gary Stevenson (2024). The Trading Game: A Confession Financial Times: Gary Stevenson claims to have been the best trader in the world. His old colleagues disagree Financial Times: He made millions betting against economic recovery. Now he wants to fix things The Daily Mail's hit piece on Gary Reddit thread discussing Gary's Thesis Plain Bagel - The Canadian Housing Crisis Explained Patrick Boyle on the Pandemic Real Estate Bubble Asianometry on an interesting historical case when radical appropriation of wealth worked Economics Explained on the generational effects on wealth inequality Stansbury, A., & Schultz, R. (2023). The economics profession’s socioeconomic diversity problem. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 37(4), 207-230. Influential economists focused on inequality and arguing for a wealth tax (as well as other things) Anthony B. Atkinson - Inequality: What Can be Done? (Anthony focused on numerous other strong measures, arguably more effective than a wealth tax) Steven P. Jenkins is at the LSE, and wrote "Changing Fortunes: Income Mobility and Poverty Dynamics in Britain" Thomas Piketty - Capital in the Twenty-First Century Emmanuel Saez & Gabriel Zucman, advisers to Elizabeth Warren International Inequalities Institute at LSE CASE: Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at LSE

We immerse ourselves in the dark waves of the discourse to bring you treasures beyond mere mortal ken. Supplementary Material 27 00:00 Introduction & Australian Holidays 03:53 James Lindsay's New Revelations 07:20 Michael O'Fallon's Conspiracy Hipsterism 09:41 Trump, Bukele, and Transparent Conspiracies 11:53 The Whitehouse declares the Lab Leak is a FACT 14:42 The conspiracy leak treill: UFOs, RFK assassination, and lableak 21:26 The Rise of the Idiots: Grimes on Transformers Cinematography 29:17 Lex vs. Flint: The mask slips 33:21 The Iron Curtain falls on Lex's Subreddit 35:18 Subreddit Moderation Choices 41:46 Douglas Murray on Joe Rogan 46:36 Darryl Cooper's Nazi Apologetics, the Role of Experts and JAQs 57:25 Strategic Disclaimers & Convincing Apologetics 01:03:28 The Rogansphere and Media Power 01:07:30 Murray on the Lab Leak 01:12:19 Murray's Anti-Establishment Hypocrisy 01:19:10 Standards in Journalism 01:22:42 Alternative Media's Double Standards 01:28:33 Douglas Murray s Sam Harris 01:29:26 The Psychology of Religious Extremism 01:36:04 Radicalisation and Extremism 01:41:24 Murray's 'Criticism' of MAGA 01:44:32 What is even the Right Wing? 01:55:11 What about Elon Musk? 02:05:40 AfD isn't that bad, and Elon has promoted Douglas too! 02:16:10 Rogan and the Moon Landing 02:17:16 Sam is still a bad judge of character 02:19:29 Isn't everyone a hypocrite? 02:23:16 Free Speech Debates 02:26:58 The role of Moderation 02:31:37 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hr 32 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources Sam Harris Episode 410 Douglas Murray: The Whole Catastrophe Joe Rogan Experience #2303 - Dave Smith & Douglas Murray Flint's post about Lex Fridman Grimes on Transformers' cinematography James Lindsay on being used by Nazis Nathan Barley on YouTube Whitehouse website on the Lab Leak Joe Rogan Experience #2307 - Tim Dillon

In this episode, Matt and Chris pour themselves a stiff drink and slip into the fever‑dream crossover of Jordan Peterson and Michael Shellenberger, a conversation that opens with the claim that Western Europe is now the single greatest threat to free speech; yes, croissants and GDPR apparently out‑authoritarian China and Russia. According to Shellenberger, we can now rest safe as free speech has been restored and “America Is Back!” thanks to God-Emperor Trump and the living avatar of honest utterance, Elon 'Horus' Musk. Our hosts marvel as Shellenberger insists USAID is a rogue soft‑power leviathan that somehow staged January 6th, sabotaged the 2020 election, and deserves to be nuked from orbit... although he can’t quite prove any of that YET​. Alongside the conspiratorial drivel there is also a heavy serving of Peterson's obscurantist mythicism and dinner‑party anthropology as he explains how Hungary is a model democracy, the US nation beset by parasites, and that this is all inevitably connected to how people are not paying enough attention to Jesus​. But that is not all! You will also learn about Manly Men vs. Gentlemen, Musk’s “move fast and break government” ethos, and the revelation that free speech is not a nice‑to‑have but a must‑have—unless you are a lawyer, journalist, or student on the wrong side of the Trump istration. So buckle up for an hour of dystopian déjà vu, as two self‑styled rebel intellectuals morph into state propagandists, cheerleading every single action of Trump and Musk while lecturing the rest of us on free thought. Sources “Trump, Musk, Kennedy: The Dawn of Transparency,” The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, Ep. 526. Shellenberger's Substack, including gems like "Why Trump’s Victory Is, For Millions Of Us, Cathartic" and "Both USAID And The CIA Were Behind The Impeachment Of Trump in 2019" Taibbi & Shellenberger testify to the House Judiciary Committee to help uncover "the Biden-Harris istration's unconstitutional censorship campaign" Singal-Minded articles detailing Shellenberger's sloppy journalism and conspiracy theories

In this stunning crossover episode, Matt and Chris are ed by Australian 'media personality' and podcast host Josh Szeps for a joyful discussion of podcasts, gurusphere, and general media dynamics. As you might imagine, we discuss issues around the heterodox sphere, cultures of criticism, and the issues involved with 'platforming' controversial figures. We discuss the constantly surprising popularity of Lex Fridman and his unique interview style, how the heterodox respond to criticism, and rampant hypocrisy. Also, Matt is finally held to for his food takes, and we find out the real story behind the Olympic mascot, Olly the Kookaburra. Sources Josh's Substackistan podcast

We project our insecurities onto the gurusphere, wallowing in our inadequacy to bond over shared hatred of outgroups, and interview Flint Dibble along the way. Supplementary Material 26 00:00 Introduction and Greetings 01:53 Ol' Squeaky and Lex's horny poems 05:11 Eric Weinstein is still waiting for the call 09:26 Interview with Flint Dibble 11:05 Introduction and Catching Up 12:19 Joe Rogan and Public Perception 14:57 Hypocrisy and Slander 16:05 Graham Hancock and Neo-Nazi Connections 22:08 Exposé on Joe Rogan 23:03 Pyramids of Giza: New Claims 24:45 Debunking the Mega Structures Theory 25:20 The Researchers Behind the Claims 28:21 Scientific Methods and Evidence 31:58 Conclusion on Pyramids and Science 35:13 Gurusphere Dynamics 37:47 Pseudo-Archaeology and Public Perception 46:11 Mr. Beast's Egypt Adventure 50:36 The Role of Pseudo-Archaeology in Conspiracy Theories 58:50 Post-Interview Discussion 59:53 Trump's Tariffs and Economic Impact 01:04:30 The Amazing Tariff Formula 01:09:45 Geoffrey Miller's 9D Chess Theory of the Tariffs 01:13:30 Contrapoints Conspiracy Video 01:14:55 Some things Matt will not mention on Tariffs 01:17:35 QAnon Anonymous on Graham Hancock 01:22:33 Some Other News covers Joe Rogan 01:30:13 Ryan Beard's Destiny Content Nuke 01:32:33 The Studies Show covers Conspiracies 01:33:53 Hasan argues for tariffs 01:37:40 Back to Rogan and Chris Williamson 01:39:21 Critically Reviewing Cory Clark's Study 01:47:58 Incestuous Bro Podcasts and Legacy Media Struggles 01:53:00 Bonding over outgroup hatred and Criticism Capture 02:02:04 USAid is funding the attacks on Tesla! 02:07:56 Trump's Badass Son humilates Biden 02:10:28 Tribal Hypocrisy 02:11:52 Joe Smashes All Your Paradigms! 02:14:59 The villain, Sam Harris criticizes the hero, Lex Fridman 02:20:18 Does Lex speak to EVERYONE? 02:23:44 Concluding Thoughts from Maladjusted Haters The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hr 25 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources Archaeology with Flint Dibble- Megastructures under Giza Pyramids⁉️ ARCHAEOLOGY REWRITTEN or viral 💩? Piers Morgan episode with Flint and Milo Rossi Joe Rogan Experience #2293 - Chris Williamson QAnon Anonymous: Graham Hancock’s Ancient Apocalypse (E318) Contrapoints: Conspiracy The Studies Show: Conspiracy Theories What "Happened" To Joe Rogan? - SOME MORE NEWS Men's Health: Joe Rogan Responds to the Controversy Surrounding His 'Endorsement' of Bernie Sanders Ryan Beard: Content Nuke Destiny Hasan making a progressive case for tariffs Sam Harris' recent podcast criticising Lex and Rogan Lex's wounded bird response to Sam Harris' criticism Clark, C. J., Fjeldmark, M., Lu, L., Baumeister, R. F., Ceci, S., Frey, K., ... & Tetlock, P. E. (2024). Taboos and self-censorship among US psychology professors. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17456916241252085.

In this very special decoding, Matt and Chris revisit the wisdom of the internet’s favourite philosopher-warrior/political theorist, Lex Fridman, as he dives once again into the complex realities of the Ukraine war. ing Lex is IDW hero and conservative commentator Douglas Murray, who actually offers some sensible insights on the specific topic of Ukraine. Fear not, though, Lex ensures his signature 'non-partisan' approach remains intact, framing Zelensky as a potentially corrupt leader who is emotionally driven, and responsible for prolonging the conflict to evade the inevitable investigations. Meanwhile, Putin remains a tragically misunderstood patriot whose greatest crime is that he loves his country a little too much. Lex is in rare form, reaching new heights of weaponised naiveté, and bravely defending himself against the legions of online "grifters, drama-farmers, liars, bots, sycophants, and sociopaths." Expect generous servings of geopolitical delusions, questionable polemics, and heartfelt serenades to Joe Rogan—all delivered with Lex’s characteristic humility and wisdom as a love-filled Man of Peace. We are genuinely sorry to drag you back into Lex's world, but someone has to keep an eye on his Ukraine takes. Sources  Lex Fridman- Douglas Murray: Putin, Zelenskyy, Trump, Israel, Netanyahu, Hamas & Gaza | Lex Fridman Podcast #463 DTG: Lex Fridman's Take on the Zelensky Interview: The Wounded Bird and Ukrainian Bot Farms DTG: Douglas Murray: Can indulgent dinner conversation save OUR civilisation?

We embrace our hybridity, stare down Lovecraftian Donkey-Dragon hybrids, and enter into true Dialogos. Supplementary Material 25 01:06 DTG Grievance Mongering 02:25 Book Club Reflections 04:09 Important Health and Lifestyle Updates 09:51 Andrew Huberman's Trail of Death 17:14 Jeff Bezos and Media Control 25:04 Another exciting round of Lab Leak Discourse! 31:17 Scientific Evidence vs. Public Discourse 38:28 Matt and Chris' Respectful Debate 44:05 Rewriting of Covid History 47:04 Conspiracies and Political Pressure 50:40 Eric Weinstein is STILL Waiting for the Call 59:41 Pageau considers the Lovecraftian Horrors of Sesame Street 01:07:17 Sarah Haider (Re)Invents 'Pioneer Traditionalism' 01:11:36 Chris Williamson's annual pilgrimage to the Khan 01:12:37 Fact Checking Bullshit with Eric Weinstein 01:17:16 Breathless Reactions to New Pyramid Theories 01:22:59 Credulity Checking with Matt's Son 01:24:40 Cruel Racist Attacks on Poor Graham Hancock from the Devil Flint Dibble 01:31:44 The Insane Hypocrisy of Alternative Media: Corrupt Academics are being controlled! 01:37:21 Soaring Rhetoric, Petty Tribalism, and Obvious Hypocrisy 01:39:19 No Charity for evil Flint Dibble 01:43:35 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 46 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources New York Times- Zeynep Tufekci: We Were Badly Misled About the Event That Changed Our Lives Kristian Andersen's BluSky thread about the article Kristian Andersen's article about the emails/slack messages, etc. Huberman's lamentations for his dead friends The Rubin Report: Analyzing Trump’s Tactics | Eric Weinstein Joe Rogan Experience #2293 - Chris Williamson Flint Dibble: Megastructures under Giza Pyramids⁉️ ARCHAEOLOGY REWRITTEN or viral 💩? Daily Express- Netflix Ancient Apocalypse: Graham Hancock slams neo-nazis using work to spread race hate The last time we said the same thing about the Lab Leak Chris doing a Dyno! and a little bonus

In this very special episode, Matt and Chris, despite swearing off any further Dr. K content after their previous three-part series, find themselves bleary-eyed and once again tumbling into the familiar depths of the K-Hole. Yes, they’re back with Dr. K, everyone’s favourite enlightened Twitch non-therapy therapist, now emerging from a self-declared midlife crisis with some powerful new revelations. Chief among them: while enlightenment may not technically be for sale, you can certainly pay to “level up your propensity for it.” After years of humble-bragging about undercharging for his mental health guides, Dr. K has boldly pivoted to defending high-priced spiritual initiations. If you thought enlightenment involved effort, introspection, and maybe a bit of humility, think again—it turns out you can outsource your spiritual growth to a guru, who will do the grinding for you. Great news for Elon Musk. Matt and Chris as they machete their way through a jungle of surreal analogies—landscaping contracts, parental down payments, Bluetooth enlightenment, and monetised spiritual energy transfer—all in service of a worldview where the real obstacle to self-actualisation is your reluctance to wire $10,000 to a spiritually enriched craftsman for a golden amulet. So fill up your chakras, empty your critical thinking cup, and enjoy this trip through the mystic marketplace—where your spiritual awakening is just one overpriced relic away. Links Squeex: Indian Hate on the Internet (A Discussion w/ Dr. K) DTG- Dr. K (Part 1): OPed Ayurvedic Medicine vs. Nerfed 'Western' Allopathy DTG- Dr. K (Part 2): Rhetorical Judo Flips DTG- Dr. K (Part 3): Therapeutic Non-Therapy

In the wake of our Naomi Klein episode, the masses have spoken. And like the responsible Gurometricians that we are, we've taken your to heart and thus open this episode with a series of scientific and spiritual recitations. Then it's straight back into the sweet science—and mystical art—of Gurometry, as we test how well it measures up to Naomi Klein’s anti-capitalist spirit. Fun for the whole family! P.S. Don't worry—Chris Langan’s Gurometer has not been forgotten and will be arriving very soon! The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 4 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Gurometer: Naomi Klein 00:00 Introduction 01:29 Sponsor Shoutouts! 03:29 Naomi Klein 05:03 Podcast Format Limitations and Reading the Book! 11:37 Consistency in Standards of Evaluation 20:21 Evaluating the Arguments Independent of the Conclusions 24:53 The Importance of Disconfirming Evidence 26:28 Differing Definitions Cross-Culturally 29:36 The Gurometer 29:59 Galaxy Brainness 32:03 Cultishness 34:02 Anti-Establishmentarianism 38:12 Grievance Mongering 38:55 Self-Aggrandizement 41:29 Cassandra Complex 44:06 Revolutionary Theories 46:53 Pseudo Profound Bullshit 49:25 Conspiracy Mongering 53:57 Excessive Profiteering 54:48 Moral Grandstanding 56:04 Final Scores and Reflections 58:52 Quickfire Guru Bonus Points

In this episode, your favourite neoliberal Decoder shills take a break from managing the decline of late-stage capitalism to examine the insights of famed writer and renegade activist Naomi Klein. The focus is her latest literary offering, Doppelganger, where Klein wrestles with the existential dread of being confused with Naomi Wolf and uses that mix-up as a gateway to explore the "Mirror World" of conspiracy theories and online gurus (a landscape our listeners know all too well). Along the way, Matt and Chris discover Klein's views on Steve Bannon's dubious charm (and what percentage he gets right), the cause of Russell Brand's descent, the real agenda behind conspiracy theories, and why neoliberal capitalism remains the root of all evil. Plus, special guest interviewer Ryan Grim parachutes to 'just ask questions' about the lab leak, vaccine side effects and other forbidden topics that the people were not allowed to talk about! So, whether you’re a champagne socialist, a crypto libertarian, a neoliberal shill, or just here for the popcorn, Matt and Chris as they parse Klein’s content and consider: is Klein speaking truth to power, or just preaching to the choir? Sources Penguin Books: How did conspiracy theories become mainstream? | Naomi Klein | Big Questions Naomi Klein. Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World. Politics and Prose. Naomi Klein — Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World - with Ryan Grim THIS- The Rebel Sell: If we all hate consumerism, how come we can’t stop shopping? Ryan McBeth: Exposing the Military Industrial Complex

In this special quasi-crossover episode, we stare deeply into the abyss while enjoying a beverage with renowned psychologist and occasional podcast co-host, Mickey Inzlicht. P.S. The Decoding of Naomi Klein is coming next week! Two Psychologists, One Anthropologist, Three Beers 00:27 Introduction 05:57 Mickey's Sabbatical in Japan 12:13 Sensemaking 3.0 25:25 Francis Foster's Bizarre Podcast Roast 34:38 Sabine Hossenfelder thinks Academia is Communism 36:11 The Irony of YouTube Incentives 39:34 Proper Criticisms of Academia 43:28 Is Academia Centrally Planned? 46:24 Culture War Pandering 53:53 Entering the Matt-rix 55:00 In Bed with the Russians notices the Red Scare Wounded Bird Pose 01:00:03 On the etiquette of Replications 01:06:17 Academic Debates on the Effect of Culture on Visual Illusions: Joe Henrich vs. Amir & Firestone 01:11:18 The Legend of Captain Cook: Sahlins vs Obeyesekere 01:12:58 Ideas vs People: Sarah Haider, Colin Wright and an epidemic of hypocrisy 01:17:19 itting Mistakes and Research Integrity 01:24:38 Interpersonal Relationships vs. Adversarial Systems 01:33:24 Wastage in Academia 01:39:49 Elon Musk, Pregnancy, and Modern Cults 01:49:01 g Off The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 51 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources Mickey's Substack: Speak Now, Regret Later Inzlicht, M., Cameron, C. D., D’Cruz, J., & Bloom, P. (2024). In praise of empathic AI. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 28(2), 89-91.Chicago. And a summary article by Mickey! Bad Boys Done Good vs Triggernometry host Francis Foster Sabine Hossenfelder - Should we defund academia? Alexander Beiner - From Rebel Wisdom to Kainos Joe Henrich's thread responding to the Dorsa and Chaz paper Chris' old blog on Captain Cook and the second part Amir, D., & Firestone, C. (2025, January 25). Is visual perception WEIRD? The Müller-Lyer illusion and the Cultural Byproduct Hypothesis. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/y7mtf In Bed with the Russians - Red Scared

Chris and Matt confront their inner demons, manifest their personal deities, and dive into the Onto-Logos. Supplementary Material 24 00:00 Introduction 02:32 Matt's Surprise Shaming 06:39 Jordan Peterson's Inner Monologue Revealed 10:04 Trump on Ukraine 15:22 Sean Carroll explains US cuts to science funding 16:47 Bleak Prospects for the US 24:14 Aella vs. Arrogant Red Pill Man 37:22 Be wary of Overcorrecting 43:11 John Vervaeke meets Hermes 52:59 False Dichotomies of the Spirit 01:03:38 Entering into Dialogos with Matt's Inner Darwin 01:07:39  Perspectival and participatory phenomenological identity transformation. 01:09:20 Other ways of knowing spirits 01:13:45 Materialists and their Monological Mindsets 01:18:37 Welcome to the Onto-Logos 01:24:06 Bad Faith Commenters 01:29:35 Pageau and the Metaphysics of Pepe the Frog 01:36:32 Next Book Review: Other Minds The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 41 mins). us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources Third Eye Drops: Encountering Higher Consciousness, The Daimon & The Paradox of Reality | Dr. John Vervaeke Dave Rubin's video of Peterson's speech at the ARC conference Whatever podcast: She Did 100 Men In 1 DAY?! 1,000 NEXT?! Lily Phillips, Eva Lovia, Aella, Andrew! | Dating Talk#227 Aella's Substack Sean Carroll: Bonus Episode | Cuts to Science Funding and Why They Matter Sabine Hossenfelder: Trump and Musk Take On Academia Huberman tweeting excitedly about the funding cuts Jonathan Pageau: Supplement to the Metaphysics of Pepe Interview with Jordan Peterson