logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
1h 57m

Episode 273: Ah. Ah. (Miyazaki's "Spirit...

Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro
About this episode

David and Tamler board the train for Hayao Miyazaki’s mystical dreamy coming of age masterpiece Spirited Away. This is a true VBW deep dive. Plus a study by our secret crush suggests we may not be optimizing the value of our conversations.

Mastroianni, A. M., Gilbert, D. T., Cooney, G., & Wilson, T. D. (2021). Do conversations end when people want them to?. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(10), e2011809118.

Spirited Away [wikipedia.org]

Sponsored by:

  • BetterHelp: You deserve to be happy. BetterHelp online counseling is there for you. Connect with your professional counselor in a safe and private online environment. Our listeners get 10% off the first month by visiting BetterHelp.com/vbw. Promo Code: VBW
  • Listening.com: Save time by listening to academic papers on the go. Very Bad Wizards listeners get 3 weeks free when signing up at listening.com/vbw
  • Givewell.org: Make your charitable donations as effective as possible. If you’ve never donated through GiveWell before, you can have your donation matched up to before the end of the year or as long as matching funds last. Just go to givewell.org, pick PODCAST, and enter VERY BAD WIZARDS at checkout. 
Up next
Aug 12
Episode 314: The In-Betweeny Place
David and Tamler go long on McDonagh’s 2008 masterpiece "In Bruges." We talk about the terrific performances and all the weighty themes - sin, guilt, redemption, honor, language, and very inappropriate jokes. Plus philosophers talk about “sex within the discipline” and Tamler can ... Show More
1h 58m
Jul 29
Episode 313: The Spontaneous Eruption of Now
David and Tamler try to wrap their heads around the metaphysics of past and future via the Borges essay(s) “A New Refutation of Time.” What does it mean to be a time skeptic or a time realist for that matter? If you’re a Berkeleyan idealist and Humean skeptic about the self, do y ... Show More
1h 15m
Jul 15
Episode 312: MechaSkeptic
David and Tamler return to David Hume’s somewhat slippery brand of skepticism, this time focusing Chapter 12 of his Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. Plus speaking of things to be skeptical about, we dive into a recent paper called “Your Brain on ChatGPT” – does neuroscienc ... Show More
1h 16m
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
Ep. 140 - The Backward Step Into Awareness with Trudy Goodman
Trudy Goodman shares Zen Master Dōgen's method, the Backward Step, for stepping back into awareness and receiving each moment as awakening.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhe ... Show More
52m 6s
Jun 2024
The Retreat, Ep. 5: The Insiders
Since the podcast published earlier this year, Madison’s inbox has been filled with emails. Some were from former volunteers at the Goenka network who wished to speak out. In this bonus episode of The Retreat, they pull back the curtain on why they believe some people are not bei ... Show More
40m 33s
Jun 2021
Realizing Our Belonging
Cohost Erica Chidi is joined by Tara Brach, a clinical psychologist, spiritual meditation teacher, and author. Brach’s new book, Trusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness, explores the fundamental value of connection and how to recognize the value in ourselves. Today, t ... Show More
55m 40s
Aug 2022
#137 Hostile Work Environments & Folks Who Love Them (Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying DarkHorse Livestream)
In this 137th in a series of live discussions with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying (both PhDs in Biology), we discuss the state of the world through an evolutionary lens.This week, we discuss Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the academy, and ask: does DEI belong in sci ... Show More
2h 1m
Jan 2021
418: David Nichtern
David Nichtern, author, Duncan's meditation teacher, and someone you've seen on The Midnight Gospel re-joins the DTFH! You can learn more about David on his website, and be sure to check out his upcoming meditation programs: Free Info Sessions / Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Tra ... Show More
1h 18m
Mar 2022
267: The Neuroscience Secrets to Happiness - with Dr. Amen
This week on the podcast we have Dr. Daniel Amen with us again! If you haven't listened to episode 200 of the Rachel Hollis Podcast go back and check that out - Dr. Amen and I have a fascinating conversation about mental health, and an opinion of what it means to study the brain ... Show More
54 m
Aug 2021
#91: The Fog Machine of War (Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying DarkHorse Livestream)
In this 91st in a series of live discussions with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying (both PhDs in Biology), we discuss the state of the world through an evolutionary lens. In this episode, we discuss co-morbidities that are associated with bad outcomes from Covid (e.g. obesity, a ... Show More
1h 31m
Jan 2024
(310) Ma Lettre du réveillon
Cette semaine, j'ai envie de partager avec vous un rituel de transition d’une année à l’autre que j'ai adopté il y a plusieurs années maintenant. Ce rituel me remplit de joie à chaque fois, il renforce considérablement la connexion entre la “moi” du passé et la “moi” du futur et ... Show More
19m 50s
May 2024
Super Soul Special: Oprah Winfrey: Spiritual GPS
Original Air Date: December 30, 2020Oprah calls that persistent knowing inside of us our Spiritual GPS. She says it’s our inner compass guiding us to move through our lives no matter what difficulties come our way. In this Super Soul Conversation Oprah talks with renowned spiritu ... Show More
24m 8s
Nov 2020
276: Being Selfish To Improve Your Relationship
Sounds too good to be true, huh? Well, the title of the show may be a little tongue in cheek, but there's a way to frame how you operate in your relationship that can help take it to a better place. Listen to today's show to learn how to be a little selfish in order to improve yo ... Show More
43m 50s