How do families and friends of an atheist or nonbeliever mourn their passing when the majority of our traditions are religion-based? Additionally, can someone build a community without religion — and is it even important to do so?
Today’s guest is a “non-theist chaplain.” Join us as we find out what that means as he explains that atheism and ritual are not m ... Show More
Feb 5
New Year’s Resolutions Fail Because We Set Them Wrong
New Year’s resolutions promise hope, but for many people, they quietly deliver shame, stress, and self-blame instead. If resolutions leave you feeling worse about yourself every January, this episode explains why — and what actually works. Host Gabe Howard is joined by returning ... Show More
25m 1s
Jan 22
Why Negative Self-Talk Feels True (And How to Stop Believing It)
Negative self-talk isn’t just annoying — it can quietly shape our decisions, confidence, and impact our mental health. But what if silencing that inner critic isn’t about positive affirmations, gratitude journals, or pretending everything is fine?In this episode, host Gabe Howard ... Show More
23m 15s
Jan 8
When Faith Hurts: Religion, Trauma, and Mental Health
For many people, religion is a source of comfort — but what happens when it becomes a source of fear, shame, or lifelong anxiety? In this episode, author Cassandra Brandt shares her deeply personal journey through religious indoctrination, purity culture, and the hidden mental he ... Show More
28m 8s
Feb 2022
Steve Hagen on What We Know But Don't Believe
Steve Hagen was ordained a Zen priest in 1979 and in 1989 he received Dharma Transmission (formal endorsement to teach) from Jikai Dainin Katagiri Roshi. He is the author of several books on Buddhism, science, and philosophy. These include Buddhism Plain and Simple, his most popu ... Show More
52 m
Oct 2023
How to connect with your soul through silence with Thomas Moore
In today’s episode, I speak with Thomas Moore, the author of The Eloquence of Silence and 24 other books about bringing soul to our personal lives and culture, including the #1 New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul. He has been a Catholic monk and university professor and is ... Show More
55m 49s
Nov 2021
How to Benefit From Religion, Even as a Nonbeliever | David DeSteno
<p>Dr. David DeSteno has embarked on a project he calls "religio-prospecting." In other words, he has been looking at the scientific evidence that many ancient religious traditions can confer all sorts of benefits, whether you're a believer or not. He points out that many secular ... Show More
55m 24s
Sep 2022
Rabbi Rami Shapiro | Spiritual, But Not Religious? What’s Really Going On.
<p>You’ve heard the call, “I’m not religious, but I am spiritual.” What does that even mean? And, why are so many people running from organized religion, but flocking to some amorphous and ambiguous claim to spirituality that often extends not further than a sense that you yearn ... Show More
57m 22s
Dec 2023
#346 — The Best Kept Secret In History?
<p dir="ltr">Sam Harris speaks with Brian Muraresku about ancient mystery religions and the possible psychedelic roots of Christianity. They discuss the Mysteries of Eleusis, the "pagan continuity hypothesis," the cult of Dionysius, the Dead Sea scrolls and the Gnostic Gospels, C ... Show More
39m 42s
Jul 2021
154 | Reza Aslan on Religion, Metaphor, and Meaning
Religion is an important part of the lives of billions of people around the world, but what religious belief actually amounts to can vary considerably from person to person. Some believe in an anthropomorphic, judgmental God; others conceive of God as more transcendent and concep ... Show More
1h 25m
Apr 2023
Dimitris Xygalatas, "Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living" (Little, Brown Spark, 2022)
Ritual is one of the oldest, and certainly most enigmatic, threads in the history of human culture. It presents a profound paradox: people ascribe the utmost importance to their rituals, but few can explain why they are so important. Apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every ... Show More
34m 18s
Jun 2020
Finding unity, through our difference, by Pastor Otis Moss
<p>As Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Otis Moss carries the torch for generations of church and civil rights leaders, including his own father, a regional director in the SCLC, and a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King. But it is his late sister Daphne w ... Show More
38m 55s