Love & Understanding

In this episode, John speaks with Dr. Jeremy Shearmur about Karl Popper's popular paradox of toleration. They highlight the importance of distinguishing criticisms of a person from criticisms of an idea, and how this can be difficult since our identities can contain so many ideas. They emphasized the importance of bringing humility and the recognition of our own fallibility to any critical discussion. They discussed the importance of respecting "background knowledge"--the existing knowledge of experts in any field--while simultaneously acknowledging its fallibility. And finally, they discussed pluralism--not only the plurality of ideas, customs, and beliefs, but also the plurality of paradigms that hold those ideas, customs, and beliefs, including how the heuristics and epistemic approaches they each take--and how pluralism fits into the greater frame of critical rationalism.Dr. Jeremy Shearmur is a Reader in Political Theory in the Faculty of Arts at The Australian National University. Professor Shearmur was educated at the London School of Economics (University of London), where he also worked for eight years as assistant to Professor Sir Karl Popper. Professor Shearmur's Ph.D. thesis on F. A. Hayek was a joint winner of the British Political Studies Association's Sir Ernest Barker prize in political theory. Prior to taking his position in Australia, Professor Shearmur taught philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and political theory at the University of Manchester. He also served as Director of Studies of the Center for Policy Studies and worked as a research associate professor for the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. Professor Shearmur has published The Political Thought of Karl Popper (1966) and Hayek and After (1996) and was joint editor of H. B. Acton's The Morals of Markets and Related Essays (1993). He has also published numerous papers in philosophy and political thought.

In this episode of Love & Understanding, I sit down with philosopher Jeremy Shearmur, who worked closely with Karl Popper for nearly a decade, to explore what it means to live in an “open society.”We begin with Popper’s central insight: that knowledge is always provisional, and that progress depends on our willingness to be wrong, to receive criticism, and to revise our beliefs. From there, we examine how these ideas extend beyond philosophy into politics, institutions, and everyday life.Together, we explore:-The tension between certainty and fallibility-The moral and epistemological foundations of an open society-The rise of polarization, populism, and distrust in institutions-How social media shapes (and distorts) our search for truth-The role of criticism, pluralism, and intellectual humility in a functioning democracyShearmur also offers a rare, personal look into Popper as a human being—brilliant, driven, and deeply imperfect—and reflects on the challenges of embodying philosophical ideals in real life.This is a conversation about truth, error, and the fragile conditions required for a society to remain open, self-correcting, and free.

In this episode, John speaks with Britt Hartley. Britt is the author of a #1 bestseller in secular spirituality. Her book is titled No Nonsense Spirituality. Britt has a masters degree in theology. She considers herself a secular spiritual director, sufi mystic, nihilism survivor, religious deconstruction coach, and a Program Director for Spiritual Direction Training.Britt was a blast to speak with. She has one of the most brilliant minds I’ve come across. She expresses herself with both a humility and a confidence. I am grateful to have her as a leader in this space, especially to keep her male counterparts in check. I learned a lot from our conversation, and I hope you do too.https://nononsensespirituality.comhttps://a.co/d/0flKNN9whttps://www.instagram.com/nononsensespirituality/

In this episode, John speaks with the writer and philosopher Shiv Sengupta, who is quickly rising the ranks in Substack's top 100 Philosophers.Shiv is an incredibly clear and introspective thinker, who carries a remarkable intellectual prowess while still remaining humble and ultimately grounded in wisdom - his empty, interconnected, ever-changing nature.You can learn more about him at his website Advaitaholics Anonymous, as well as his Substack blog Dark Night of the Soul.

In this episode, John speaks with Linnea Butler. Linnea Butler is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and a Master of Science in Molecular Biology. She founded Bay Area Mental Health, where she helps people with trauma, PTSD, depression, and anxiety using a number of modalities, including DBT, sensorimotor therapy, ketamine assisted psychotherapy, among others.In our conversation, we discuss the difference between shock trauma and developmental trauma, common struggles in relationships, shadow work, attachment styles, parts work, somatic work, and much more.In any case, I really enjoyed our conversation, and I hope you do too.

In this episode, John speaks with Prashanthi Amarnath about her book Embracing Paradox, which pulls from Taoist wisdom. We discuss the Taoist concept Wu Wei, or effortless action, love, parenting, identity, and the paradox between science and mysticism, among other subjects.You can find Prashanthi's book here.

In this episode, John speaks with Mike Kewley about his book The Treasure House: Discovering Enlightenment Exactly Where You Are.Mike Kewley is a leading Mindfulness Teacher, TEDx Speaker, and Author based on the Isle of Man, UK. With over 25 years of experience exploring meditation, spirituality, and nonduality. Mike combines deep insight with practical wisdom to help people transform their everyday lives.The eldest son of Meditation Master Dhammachariya Pannadipa, Mike holds degrees in Religious Studies and Western Esotericism. His teaching draws from both academic knowledge and decades of personal practice, offering a unique and grounded approach to mindfulness.Mike has shared his work widely, delivering a popular TEDx talk on Happiness, appearing on Conscious TV, and being featured in publications including Mensa Magazine, The Liverpool Echo, Women’s Fitness and The Independent.His first book, The Treasure House – Discovering Enlightenment Exactly Where You Are (New Sarum Press, 2022), was praised for its clarity and accessibility. He is currently writing his second book, The Living Moment – A Guide to Ordinary Enlightenment.

In this episode, John explores how we can apply the Buddha's four foundations of mindfulness to our daily lives.

In this episode, John speaks with Kat van Oudheusden about the nature of non-duality. Early in life, Kat was an attorney but then, after discovering her own non-dual nature, she moved into coaching professionals and business teams from a selfless leadership perspective. She is now a full-time writer. She is the author of four books and writes daily on Substack about her own direct non-dual experience. I really enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do too.Substack Profile:https://substack.com/@katoudheusden?Books:https://a.co/d/7aOE1dQ

In this episode, John explores the mind-state of effort, which is the most common translation from the Pali word "virya." Virya is one of three mind-states, along with concentration and mindfulness, the Buddha singles out for us to cultivate in his Noble Eightfold Path, which is a kind of training program to bring peace of heart and mind not only to ourselves but to the world around us.

In this episode, John shares a chapter titled Love from his book The Unbound Heart: Spirituality Without Dogma or Superstition. Because we are habitual creatures who have likely developed unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, John encourages the listeners to actively build a formal practice of loving-kindness into their lives. He encourages you to rewire your neural pathways with some love fiber.

In this episode, John shares a chapter from his book The Unbound Heart: Spirituality Without Dogma or Superstition.

This episode is a recording from Project Human, John's community, where they engage in a bi-weekly Zoom meeting. In this discussion, the community discussed the importance of stories and frameworks in our lives.

In this episode, John speaks with the philosopher and academic Neil Durrant. Neil grew up in a Christian home, eager to become a minister. So, he spent the early years of his adulthood committed to the Anglican Church. After receiving a degree in linguistics, studying Arabic, Old Norse, and an aboriginal language of Australia, Neil then taught himself Hebrew and Greek, before getting a theological degree, so that he could focus more on the philosophical debates rather than spend time learning the language. After exploring European and German philosophers, like Nietzsche, Neil could no longer accept and practice his faith with integrity. John and Neil discuss the consequences of leaving a faith and explore how one might navigate a faith-crisis or -transition skillfully. John and Neil also explore the nihilism many people face after leaving a religion and how they might approach that.

In this episode, John speaks with C.B. Robertson (Chris), a self-described Classical Pagan. Chris points out that we often overvalue the historical truth of a myth at the expense of its deeper meaning. He offers up the myths of 'Santa Clause' and 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' as examples. Finally, as an anecdote to nihilism born out of a faith crisis, Chris stresses the importance of participating in myth and ritual, which connects us to others and to something larger than ourselves.

In this episode, John interviews Elina Jerschow, M.D., M.Sc, about her upbringing in Russia, her exit after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and her new life in the West. John and Elina also discuss her meditation practice, particularly her relationship with Vajrayana Buddhism.Elina is a board-certified allergist and immunologist with specialized expertise in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD), chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, and asthma.Dr. Jerschow completed her medical degree at Vienna University in Austria and pursued further training in internal medicine, followed by subspecialty training in Allergy and Immunology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY.Her clinical practice is dedicated to diagnosing and treating patients with AERD and nasal polyposis. In her research, Dr. Jerschow focuses on the role of immune cell subsets within polyp tissue and their impact on the severity of AERD and nasal polyposis.

In this episode, John invites his dear friend Kandice Knoelk over to take some Molly (MDMA) as they explore how everything circles back to Love. Kandice is a Writing Coach, who helps people connect with their authentic voice by pointing them to the infinite source of love, wisdom, creativity, and play within their own hearts and minds.If you want to work with Kandice, you can reach her at [email protected] or LinkedIn.You can find more information about Impact Training here.

In this episode, John speaks with Tomer Duwek, an Israeli American artist and Zen monk.You can find Tomer's art at https://www.tomerduwek.comHe is also on Instagram and Facebook.

A conversation with Loch Kelly about healing, spiritual development, and non-dual mindfulness.Loch Kelly is offering John's listeners a special discount code for the Mindful Glimpses App, available here: https://mindfulglimpses.com/specialoffer/Loch Kelly is the creator of the new groundbreaking meditation and wellness app, Mindful Glimpses. An award-winning author, psychotherapist, and nondual meditation teacher, Loch is also the founding director of the nonprofit Effortless Mindfulness Institute. Loch has master’s degrees from both Columbia University and Union Theological, where he won a traveling fellowship to Sri Lanka, India and Nepal. There, he trained with some of the great meditation masters of the modern era. Informed by modern neuroscience and psychology, Loch teaches Effortless Mindfulness, an ancient form of nondual meditation. His nondual mindfulness discussion on Sam Harris’s Waking Up app was the most-listened-to audio of the year. Loch has co-taught with IFS-Founder Dick Schwartz and collaborated with neuroscientists at Yale, UPenn, and NYU to study how awareness training can enhance compassion and well-being. He also worked as a community mental health professional in New York City for over 30 years. Loch is known for his unique practical methods and warm sense of humor. He has a talent for leading people to their true nature, which he frames as the next stage of human development. In the Mindful Glimpses app, Loch introduces Effortless Mindfulness through simple yet advanced micro-meditations. These short meditations open the door to well-being, clarity, and compassion. Mindful Glimpses weaves together ancient nondual practices, cutting-edge psychology, and neuroscience research.

Listen to the trailer for the podcast Love & Understanding, hosted by John Driggs.

In this episode, through his own personal struggle, John explores some skillful reflections to help us work through anger, fear, and distrust.

In this episode, John speaks with Ben Painter, the co-founder of Whole School Mindfulness, an organization dedicated to funding and placing Mindfulness Directors in schools.Interested in getting mindfulness in your school:https://wholeschoolmindfulness.org

In this episode, John shares a personal reflection on gratitude.

In this episode, we'll continue our exploration of the question of good and evil by examining Plato's political and moral theory of tyranny. We will then contrast this to the political theory of Athens, under the leadership of Pericles, which we learned about in the last episode titled "Who Decides What Is Right & Wrong?".

In this episode, we will explore the foundation of our morality. We've seen how the Greeks came to better understand the physical world, as well as things like happiness. But we haven't asked if and how we can come to better understand our own morality. How do we know what is right and wrong or good and evil?

In this episode, John explores the topic of friendship. In his commitment to meet death for a year, one of the main insights he has gathered is that, when we imagine ourselves looking back on our lives from our deathbed, what matters most is our relationships. He then reflects on one of his most influential relationships.

In this episode, we explore the self. First, we'll examine the self through a conceptual investigation. And then, to end the episode, we'll look directly at our own experience to see who or what knows.

In this episode, we'll continue our exploration of epistemology by seeking to understand the nature of concepts or universals. Primarily, we'll wade through Aristotle's epistemological response to Socrates and Plato to unravel the dangers of seeking certainty.

In this episode, we will continue our exploration of epistemology, meeting the ancient Greeks who invented the first formal tradition or school of reason.

In this episode, we'll explore how our problems and questions, our wonder and curiosity, open the door to our ignorance - the first step in knowledge creation. Once faced with our ignorance, we'll discover that the only thing we can do is guess - we must create an answer or a solution.

In this episode, we'll begin exploring the foundations of knowledge, our epistemological bedrock. What do you believe and how do you know it to be true?

In this episode, John explores dukkha, or dis-ease and unsatisfactoriness, in more depth. Then, John introduces the Buddhist practice that opens us to this dukkha and, ultimately, frees us from it.

In this episode, John shares a meditation from his free online course titled The Space of Possibility. Until you ask the question, "What is my life, or my being, in service to?" where is your freedom? Clearly comprehending your motivations and intentions, together with mindfulness, is the key to freedom.www.spaceofpossibility.org

In the first half of this episode, John talks to his partner River about her recent name-change from Deborah to River and the consequences of this decision. And in the second half, John and River each open up about the sexual abuse they experienced as children and how they have come to find compassion for their abusers.

In this episode, we'll take one more spin around the wheel of wisdom - around the Buddha's Noble Eight Path.

In this episode, John first discusses how our livelihoods fit into the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path, and then he goes on to discuss his own business - his future plans and promises to you, his audience.

In this episode, we'll explore the role of concentration in the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path.

In this episode, we explore how mindfulness fits into the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path.

In this episode, we'll explore how virya, or effort, fits into the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path.

In this episode, we'll explore two approaches to awakening - sudden and gradual.

In this episode, I express my commitment to meet death formally for a year. I express some of my own personal struggles with loss and grief, and explore how mindfulness and honesty can help transform that loss and grief back into love.

In this episode, we will continue exploring our actions as they relate to the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path. More specifically, we will explore the precept - to abstain from taking what is not given.

In this episode, we continue our exploration of the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path by opening to our actions in the world.

In this episode, we will continue our exploration of the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path, exploring in depth how our speech affects our hearts and our minds.

In this episode, we will continue our exploration of the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path. More particularly, we will enter the second of three arenas of training along this path, training in virtue, which consists of training our speech, actions, and livelihoods. Today, however, we will focus only on the first element - our speech, exploring what it means for our speech to be truthful.

As we continue our exploration of the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path, today we will explore thoughts of compassion, and how we can cultivate compassion to become the default response to suffering.

In our exploration of the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path, this episode, we will explore thoughts of metta, or loving-kindness.

Continuing our exploration of the Noble Eightfold Path, in this episode, we explore thoughts or intentions of renunciation.

Today, as a part of our continued exploration of the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path, let’s move into the second set of exercises in our wisdom training, exercises in thought. Remember, in an effort to transform the suffering in the world, the Buddha created a path, the Noble Eightfold Path, which can be broken into three arenas of training: (1) a training in wisdom, (2) a training in ethics, and (3) a training of the mind.Thought and worldview compose this first arena of training — wisdom. So, when training our thoughts, the goal is wisdom. It is to cultivate thoughts that align with the Dharma, that align with truth, that align with reality. It is to cultivate thoughts that lead to peace, love, happiness, and freedom.Okay, so what kind of thoughts align with the Dharma? What kind of thoughts lead to more peace, love, and happiness? What thoughts lead to a state of ease and spaciousness and timelessness? What thoughts will set you free?Let’s consider some practical ways to train our thoughts in pursuit of wisdom.

To help train our perception, it may be useful to bring into awareness what Buddhists call the Four Great Hallucinations of Perception, since we likely fall into these traps at times and become agitated and dis-eased. They are:1. The Hallucination of Permanence. How often do you take that which is impermanent to be permanent? Is your reaction to this question one of denial? Remember, knowing the truth of impermanence intellectually isn’t the same as living according to this understanding.2. The Hallucination of Beauty. How often do you mistake beauty for lust, for wanting, for desire? Do you find yourself sexualizing bodies, placing beauty in the perception of a body, rather than in the divine nature, the divine light, that sits at the foundation of the being across from you? Don’t get me wrong, the human body is beautiful. Just don’t lose your Love glasses. (Guys, I’m mostly talking to you.)3. The Hallucination of Happiness. Take a look at the world’s literature, look at our pop culture, at our movies and shows, at our social media networks, at our advertisements, and it’s pretty clear that most of us mistake suffering for happiness. We continually chase that which is unsatisfying in hope of finding lasting happiness, in hope of embodying lasting peace and satisfaction. We take a hit of pleasure and almost immediately find ourselves wanting again. ‘Why can’t I fill this hole?’ we ask ourselves before moving onto the next hit. Remember, wanting itself is not happiness. It is in fact what brings dis-ease and agitation.4. The Hallucination of Self. Last but not least is the deeply conditioned perception of self — taking what is not self to be self. How often do we find ourselves identifying with our bodies, with our personalities, with our thoughts, stories, or beliefs, with our race or gender, with our feelings and emotions? Or, another common identification, even among those who may have many years of meditation under their belt, is the identification with knowing itself, with awareness itself, even though we see the changing nature of all things. Be careful of putting a wall around that which is unbounded and unformed, unborn and undying, that which is free.