American Amnesia: What’s Missing From Our Collective Memory?

The overhyped but underrated 2006 Christopher Nolan film Inception developed the idea of deliberately seeding ideas in the minds of powerful people in an effort to anticipate, control, and profit by their subsequent behavior. Compelling concept, and applicable to–or drawn … Continue reading “American Amnesia: What’s Missing From Our Collective Memory?”

The Self is an Illusion

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“We may give up cartesian dualism, we might be absolutely sure that there isn’t mind stuff and physical stuff, or matter and consciousness, you know, we say we are monists, but actually, we still believe in a kind of experiencing self. The experiencer and the experience. This doesn’t fit with how we know the brain works at all.” – Susan Blackmore

Rachel Kleinfeld on Violence, Law Enforcement, and What We Can Do

We had the chance to speak with Rachel Kleinfeld, the senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the founding CEO of the Truman National Security Project, about her latest book, A Savage Order, which discusses theories about … Continue reading “Rachel Kleinfeld on Violence, Law Enforcement, and What We Can Do”

A Reflective and Playful New Year’s Reprieve in the Life and Poetry of Zen Master Ryokan

PREPARING FOR THE NEW YEAR’S DAY People make elaborate offerings to the Buddha. In my hut I dedicate a painted rice cake. – Ryokan (1758 – 1831) If you’re feeling at all overwhelmed in facing the New Year, turning to … Continue reading “A Reflective and Playful New Year’s Reprieve in the Life and Poetry of Zen Master Ryokan”

The Conscious Filmgoers Guide to the Best Films of 2018

Peak TV is creating more opportunities for independent film directors, and for new stories to be told. More films from around the world are released on streaming every day, and Netflix spent an estimated 13 billion dollars on content just this year. More cash available … Continue reading “The Conscious Filmgoers Guide to the Best Films of 2018”

Meaningness | Better ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—around problems of meaning: self, society, ethics, purpose, and value

Better ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—around problems of meaning and meaninglessness; self and society; ethics, purpose, and value. (A work in progress, consisting of a hypertext book and a metablog that comments on it.) For automatic email notifications of … Continue reading “Meaningness | Better ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—around problems of meaning: self, society, ethics, purpose, and value”