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This interview is an episode from The Well, our new publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the John Templeton Foundation.

Up Next ► Michio Kaku: Is God a mathematician?   • Michio Kaku: Is God a mathematician?  

If you're a critic of religion or if you're someone who champions yourself as a strong believer in the power of rationality, you probably think 'supernatural thinking' is bad.

But according to existential psychologist Clay Routledge, supernatural thinking is actually an important part of being a complete human being. From a scientific point of view, all we know is what we have in this life- but if we're open to supernatural possibilities that allows us to at least explore or have hope that there's something about our existence, something about the human spirit, that transcends the material.

When we are dealing with anxieties about mortality, questions about purpose, and trying to understand our place in a large Universe, our minds naturally drift towards at least curiosities about the supernatural if not outright belief.

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About Clay Routledge:

Dr. Clay Routledge is a leading expert in existential psychology. His work examines how the human need for meaning in life influences and is influenced by different cognitive processes, self-regulation, momentous life experiences, personal and professional goals, creativity, social connections, spirituality and religiosity, entrepreneurship, and prosocial behavior.

Dr. Routledge has published over 100 scholarly papers, co-edited three books on existential psychology, and authored the books Nostalgia: A Psychological Resource and Supernatural: Death, Meaning, and the Power of the Invisible World.

His work has been featured by many media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, ABC News, BBC News, CBC News, CNN, NBC Today, MSNBC, Men’s Health, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker. As a social commentator, Dr. Routledge has authored articles for a number of outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, USA Today, Scientific American, National Review, Entrepreneur, and Harvard Business Review. He was the lead writer for the TED-Ed animated lesson Why Do We Feel Nostalgia?

Dr. Clay Routledge is the Vice President of Research and the Director of the Human Flourishing Lab at the Archbridge Institute. He is also an editor at Profectus, a periodic web-based magazine focused on civilizational progress and human flourishing.

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

So what do they think?

How is the power of science advancing understanding? How are philosophers and theologians tackling these fascinating questions?

Let’s dive into The Well.

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Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, Steve Jobs, Elizabeth Holmes – are these celebrity CEOs good for their business?

Up Next ► How to date, mate, and find fulfillment | Helen Fisher & more

Some “larger-than-life” CEOs have names and personal brands that transcend those of the company that they run. Steve Jobs and Elon Musk are good examples.

Anna Butrico argues that they have a powerful platform and, therefore, a responsibility to use it to analyze how their products and personalities are affecting our world.

The risk of having such high-profile CEOs is that they can overshadow or even undermine the mission of their company.

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About Anna Butrico:

Anna Butrico is Chief of Staff of Odgers Berndtson U.S. Anna supports the OBUS leadership team in driving the firm’s growth strategy. Prior to joining Odgers, Anna was a senior communications associate at the McChrystal Group, where she advised Fortune 100 leaders on how to tap into human potential to achieve stronger business outcomes. A communications expert and former speechwriter, she is the co-author, with GEN (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal, of Risk: A User’s Guide. Anna earned her undergraduate degree in English from Vanderbilt University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She also studied literature at St. Anne’s College at the University of Oxford.

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The history of music from bone flutes to Beyoncé.

Up Next ► The science of music: why your brain gets hooked on hit songs   • The science of music: Why your brain ...  

The evolution of music over millennia is tied to human civilization.

For example, hunter-gatherers, who were very mobile, had to have small, light instruments to carry with them. Once we settled into bigger cities, larger instruments could be built.

Today, music is as accessible as running water. But if you were born in Beethoven's time, you would be lucky to hear two symphonies in your lifetime.

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About Michael Spitzer:

Michael Spitzer is the author of The Musical Human and professor of music at the University of Liverpool, where he leads the department’s work on classical music. A music theorist and musicologist, he is an authority on Beethoven, with interests in aesthetics and critical theory, cognitive metaphor, and music and affect. He organized the International Conferences on Music and Emotion and the International Conference on Analyzing Popular Music and currently chairs the editorial board of Music Analysis Journal.

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In this episode, Professor Ethan Kross, author of "Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It," explores the pervasive issue of chatter in human life. Defined as the negative aspect of our inner voice, chatter often leads to rumination and worry instead of problem-solving. Professor Kross delves into the evolutionary purpose of the inner voice, highlighting its role in language use for navigation and survival.

He explains the inner voice's functions, from being part of the 'Verbal Working Memory System' to aiding in simulation, planning, self-control, and creating life narratives. Despite its benefits, chatter presents challenges such as difficulty focusing, relationship friction, irritability, and health issues associated with chronic stress. Professor Kross reveals the science-based toolkit available to regain control of the inner voice, emphasizing the effectiveness of rituals in creating order and control.

Drawing on examples like tennis great Rafael Nadal, who uses rituals to manage inner voices during play, Professor Kross encourages individuals to find unique combinations of tools that work best for them. He reassures listeners that experiencing chatter is a universal aspect of being human and introduces the episode's central theme: understanding and managing the human condition of chatter.

Half our day is spent not living in the moment. Here’s how to change that. Your inner voice isn't always very nice or helpful. When we turn our attention inward, we tend to focus on problems rather than solutions. This causes us to worry, ruminate, and catastrophize, which traps us in a negative thought cycle. The good news is that there is a science-based toolkit that can help you regain control of your inner voice. To learn even more from the world's biggest thinkers, get Big Think+ for your business: https://bigthink.com/plus/

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chapters:-

0:00 intro about our inner voice, chatter.

1:04 purpose, advantages and benefits of the inner voice

2:43 negative implications (lack of focus, friction in relationships, health, etc)

4:17 how to regain control and manage our inner voice.

6:14 are you weaker for experiencing chatter? is it natural to experience chatter?

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“We can’t even begin to imagine the possibilities awaiting us in the future.” Musicologist Michael Spitzer on what he predicts for the future of music.

Up next, How music spreads, explained in 5 minutes | Michael Spitzer

Musicologist Michael Spitzer shares his three predictions for the future of music.

Where will music be in a decade? What about another 10,000 years? Will it evolve into one homogenous, indiscernible sound? According to Spitzer, that’s not likely. Thanks to humanity’s desire for individualism and self expression, music will remain varied and unique. Knowing this, how can we begin to guess what music will look like in the future?

Spitzer makes three predictions: first, music will be instrumentalized beyond entertainment and used, for example, as treatments for medical diagnoses; second, it will integrate far more technology, extending our capabilities into the digital realm and becoming accessible for those who are less naturally musically inclined; third, it will become multisensory, expanding beyond our sense of sound to include taste, smell, and even touch.

Music has already expanded beyond what musicians from a few centuries ago ever thought was possible, and as we look ahead, we can only estimate what it will become. As Spitzer says, “We can't even begin to imagine the possibilities awaiting us in the future.”

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----------------------------

About Michael Spitzer:

Michael Spitzer is the author of The Musical Human and professor of music at the University of Liverpool, where he leads the department’s work on classical music. A music theorist and musicologist, he is an authority on Beethoven, with interests in aesthetics and critical theory, cognitive metaphor, and music and affect. He organized the International Conferences on Music and Emotion and the International Conference on Analyzing Popular Music and currently chairs the editorial board of Music Analysis Journal.

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Are the answers to humanity’s biggest questions written in the stars? Our host Kmele Foster is on a journey to find out. This video is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. Why are we here? What is our purpose? Are any of our scientific efforts actually adding up to important revelations? Does understanding our cosmic origins really contribute to humanity as a whole? We know what it’s like to be “street-level,” to understand our cities, our social behaviors, our day-to-day lives — but what happens if we look up? How does our understanding of humanity change when we raise our attention to the space beyond our skylines? These are the questions that our host Kmele Foster is exploring in this episode of The Well podcast. Helping Kmele along the way is Sean Dougherty, the director of ALMA Observatory in Northern Chile, home of Earth’s darkest skies and 50% of the world’s megatelecopes. If the answers to humanity’s questions are written in the stars, this observatory might be the one to translate them.

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About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

Listen To This Next:

Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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This interview is an episode from ‪@The-Well‬, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪@JohnTempletonFoundation‬.

Cultivating your own well-being does not mean getting rid of discomfort, according to neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang.

Immordino-Yang is a professor of education, psychology, and neuroscience at the University of Southern California, and she has spent years researching what makes one “well.”

Turns out, true well-being comes from balance and flexibility, not just from filling your life with positive experiences. Immordino-Yang suggests a few practical tips for maintaining this balance, such as prioritizing quality relationships, monitoring our social media usage, and engaging in activities that bring joy and reflection.

We can’t fully eradicate suffering, but we can accept it and choose to grow through it. By welcoming healthy levels of discomfort and taking agency over our own activities and habits, we can achieve wellness as it was meant to be achieved - as a state of being, not a destination.

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About Mary Helen Immordino-Yang:

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD, is an expert on the psychological and neurobiological foundations of social emotion, self-awareness, and culture, and how they impact learning, development, and education.

She is a Professor of Education at the USC Rossier School of Education, a Professor of Psychology at the Brain and Creativity Institute, a faculty member in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE).

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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How has Kel Mitchell navigated self-doubt, isolation, and the desire to “hit the off button”? He says it’s all faith, community, and personal forgiveness.

After his debut on Nickelodeon, Kel Mitchell began a life-long career as an actor and comedian. He got married, started a family, and basked in professional success. However, behind the scenes, he faced intense personal hardships that pushed him to the brink, testing his resilience and strength in ways he never imagined.

Kel guides us through the lowest points of his life, showing us how faith in himself and his religion helped him rebuild and achieve a fulfilling existence. He reminds us that blessings can often be hidden in hardships and that mistakes play a crucial role in shaping who we are.

By expressing his pain and opening up to others about the things he was struggling with, he was able to find unity, community, and support from those who had experienced similar drawbacks. Mitchell stresses the importance of understanding others, and how deep relationships can change – and even save – lives.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Read more from this interview ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/k...

Explore the Perception Box series hub ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/?...

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

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About Expert:

Kel Mitchell is a two-time Emmy Award-nominated actor, producer, comedian, and youth pastor hailing from Chicago, Illinois.

Mitchell executive produced and appeared in the new iteration of the beloved Nickelodeon series All That, bringing him full circle to the original award-winning show that was his big break. All That was Nickelodeon's longest-running live-action series, with 171 episodes across ten seasons from 1994 to 2005. The franchise paved the way for a number of successful spin-offs, including Kenan & Kel, The Amanda Show, The Nick Cannon Show, and the feature-length film Good Burger, all of which cemented Mitchell's impact on pop culture.

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Chloé Valdary shares 3 rules for effective anti-racism. Chloé Valdary's Theory of Enchantment offers a fresh perspective on anti-racism, shifting the focus from rigid identity categories to a deeper understanding of human experiences. The theory emphasizes three core principles: treating people as human beings rather than political abstractions, criticizing to uplift and empower, and anchoring actions in love and compassion. By acknowledging the inner struggles and complexities that drive individual racism, Valdary encourages self-awareness to promote more thoughtful and compassionate interactions with others. Through this framework, the Theory of Enchantment aims to foster positive change by addressing the pain, suffering, and confusion that underlie racism and promoting a more empathetic and inclusive society.

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Chapters for easier navigation:-

0:00 3 key principles for an anti-racist mindset

1:27 James Baldwin on the inner psyche

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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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About Chloé Valdary: After spending a year as a Bartley fellow at the Wall Street Journal, Chloé Valdary developed The Theory of Enchantment, an innovative framework for compassionate antiracism that combines social emotional learning (SEL), character development, and interpersonal growth as tools for leadership development in the boardroom and beyond. Chloé has trained around the world, including in South Africa, The Netherlands, Germany, and Israel. Her clients have included high school and college students, government agencies, business teams, + many more. She has also lectured in universities across America, including Harvard and Georgetown. Her work has been covered in Psychology Today Magazine and her writings have appeared in the New York Times and the Wall St Journal

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This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation.

Aided by best-selling psychology books of the last decade, such as Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score, discussions about trauma and how to deal with it have entered popular public discourse. From police departments to school classrooms, trauma-informed approaches have taken center stage. But leading neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges the popular notion that trauma resides solely in the body. She asserts that trauma is rooted in the brain’s predictions and the construction of our experiences. When an adverse experience becomes traumatic, the brain heavily weighs and anticipates that experience in its future predictions. This ongoing prediction and re-experiencing of the traumatic event strengthens the neural connections associated with it, making the predictions more likely to occur in the future. Rather than focusing on the body as the site of healing, she suggests that changing the brain’s models of prediction is what needs to be addressed to break free from the cycle of trauma. By understanding the role of predictions and the brain’s plasticity, Feldman Barrett offers hope for transforming traumatic experiences and finding new, lasting paths to healing.

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Chapters :

0:00 Why your brain creates trauma

1:44 Does your body keep the score?

2:53 Effective treatments for trauma

4:33 Trauma IS in your head (but everything else is too)

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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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About Lisa Feldman Barrett: Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett is among the top 1% most-cited scientists in the world, having published over 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Dr. Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor of psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where she is Chief Science Officer for the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior. She is the recipient of a NIH Director’s Pioneer Award for transformative research, a Guggenheim Fellowship in neuroscience, the Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and from the Society for Affect Science (SAS), and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association (APA). She is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, and a number of other honorific societies. She is the author of How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, and more recently, Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain.

--------

Discover Big Think | Smarter Faster™

Your top destination for expert-driven, educational content. Featuring thousands of episodes and insights from renowned figures like Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think accelerates your learning by delving into the pivotal concepts and essential skills shaping knowledge in the 21st century...

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With Insights from the World's Leading Minds

Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications

If you found this episode valuable, Share It

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