Decoding the Gurus Podcast Por Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne arte de portada

Decoding the Gurus

Decoding the Gurus

De: Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
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 An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights. Leveraging two of the most diverse accents in modern podcasting, Chris and Matt dig deep into the claims, peek behind the psychological curtains, and try to figure out once and for all... What's it all About? Join us, as we try to puzzle our way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur? Join us and let's find out!Copyright 2025 Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne Ciencia Ciencias Sociales
Episodios
  • Shamanism and the Art of Charismatic Otherness with Manvir Singh

    Shamanism and the Art of Charismatic Otherness with Manvir Singh
    Jun 7 2025

    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
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    1 h y 22 m
  • Trump vs. Elon: The Gurusphere Reacts

    Trump vs. Elon: The Gurusphere Reacts
    Jun 7 2025

    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 admiring 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).

    Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus
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    26 m
  • Supplementary Material 30: Decoding Irish Stew, Owl Hate, and Hypothetical Avoidance

    Supplementary Material 30: Decoding Irish Stew, Owl Hate, and Hypothetical Avoidance
    Jun 1 2025

    Prepare for a hearty mix of culinary tips, avoidance of hypothetical scenarios, and the usual guru grievances. Will Jordan Peterson ever admit 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).

    Join 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.
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    45 m
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Wonderfully entertaining and insightful, as well as excessively verbose!
I adore the conversations.
I also appreciate not having to do my own research.

Thurough assessments

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Chris and Matt are carrying hammers trying to Whack-A-Mole all the gurus coming out of their misinformed, self-indulgent, self-aggrandizing, conspiratorial podcast holes. The hosts are approaching the topics in good faith. If you are interested in understanding how gurus build their cult-like following, and the techniques they use to manipulate their listeners, then the boys have you covered. The main critique I have for the podcast is that it's a tad bit too long at times. If you don't find the topics interesting, they have funny accents.

A much needed podcast in the age of gurus.

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Two ignorant rambling researchers think its hilarious to treat serious issues like gender dysphoria with toxic and immature mockery. What right do they have to causually cissplain (with a known transphobic Helen Lewis) anything to anyone? Do they realise what it's like to grow up confused about identity. Do they talk about the mental and physical abuse perpetrated by others on the LGBTQIA+ community or the unacceptable suicide rates? No. They just compare fighting for human decency and rights of every individual to the despicable orthodoxy of churches that believe in superbeings who created the earth and let all their disciples get away with pedophilia! They just pretend they are objective because their whole life has revolved around an insecure, fragile, colonial biased paradigm. Brainwashed and self-delusional. They think they are objective because they mock those hate crime mongers from the IDW. That childish sarcasm and laughter when talking about Peterson and the ilk, and then that vomit inducing feeling sorry/not sorry for being 'meanies' is nothing more than acting as apologists for those criminal misogynists and supporting hate speech. Barely able to listen to an older one on Ibram X Kendi but it is obvious they have a major issue with critical race theory, anti-racism and the BLM movement. I will issue a formal complaint about this podcast and hope you will do the same.

Toxic bigotted juveniles must be muted

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