Welcome back to Cult Season, where we continue our sincere attempt to make you feel a little bit worse about the world and everything in it.

This week, we turn to Stefan Molyneux, online pioneer, prolific content creator, and self-proclaimed most popular philosopher in the world. Alternatively his wikipedia entry describes him as "an Irish-born Canadian white nationalist podcaster and proponent of conspiracy theories, white supremacy, scientific racism, and the men's rights movement." Charming...

One thing is for sure: Molyneux is the only man alive who can turn literally any question into a monologue that combines demonic liberals, cutting off friends and family, and female reproductive choices. A true Renaissance man for people who hate Renaissance values.

In this first episode we take a brief tour through the Molyneux Expanded Universe™, which includes some infamous clips from his early days as the creator of an online 'philosophy' cult themed around anti-spanking, anarcho-capitalism, and misogyny. We also cover his pivot to MAGA apologetics and overt white nationalism and finally to late-stage Molyneux, where he now lurks in Twitter Spaces, berating callers and insisting the world is populated by demon-ridden NPCs gleefully urinating on their moral superiors.

Look forward to learning about his extensive rhetorical techniques, which include thin-skinned narcissism, a penchant for violent metaphors usually featuring urine and anal torture, his constant demand that listeners cut off their families and, of course, his favourite claim: that anyone who disagrees with him is a man-whore NPC who wants to kill you.

Also featuring:

• A Weinstein cameo (because of course)
• Chris recounting the proto–Decoding the Gurus origin story involving a Facebook post and some early Molyneux content
• And a rare chance to hear Matt physically wince at a Rocky Horror cold open

If you’ve ever wanted to hear a preening narcissist berate his listener for raising entirely reasonable points... well, this is the episode for you.

Scott Adams should be careful, a new contender has emerged for his crown...

Part 2 coming soon, assuming we survive this one.

Links

• Freedomain Radio 6162: The Most Frightening Fact! (Twitter/X Space)
• Philosophy student reviews Molyneux’s The Art of the Argument
• Michael Shermer’s amazing excuse for endorsing Molyneux
• Former guest discusses Molyneux’s descent into racist pseudoscience (2016)
• Guardian article (2008) on Molyneux’s online cult & “DeFooing”
• Daily Mail article (2015) on a family impacted by Molyneux’s community
• Daily Beast profile on Molyneux during his Trump pivot
• SPLC profile on Stefan Molyneux
• SPLC investigation of Molyneux’s alt-right connections (2018)
• College of Psychologists of Ontario: Professional reprimand of Molyneux’s wife
• Detailed profile of Molyneux’s community (archived anti-cult site)
• Channel 5 documentary featuring a former member of Molyneux’s community
• Stefan’s appearance with Joe Rogan (#538)

This week, we are joined by Kevin Mitchell, Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, who has committed the unforgivable sin of pointing out that an entire academic and media hype cycle might be built on… well, very little actually. His new co-authored paper in Neuron politely dismantles the highly promoted link between the gut microbiome and autism, which turns out to rest on flawed studies, contradictory findings, creative statistics, and a touching faith in mice burying marbles.

Kevin walks us through the joys of observational studies that don’t replicate, mouse experiments that don't make sense, and clinical trials where there is no blinding and no control wing, and shockingly, everyone reports feeling better. Meanwhile, journalists and wellness gurus eagerly report each new “breakthrough”, unburdened by any concerns about the strength of evidence or methodological robustness.

In the end, the microbiome–autism connection looks less like a sturdy scientific stool and more like three damp twigs taped together by optimism and marketing departments.

We finish, naturally, by dragging Matt back out of his panpsychism phase and asking whether consciousness is really fundamental to the universe or just something that happens in podcasters who haven’t slept enough.

Links

• Mitchell, K. J., Dahly, D. L., & Bishop, D. V. (2025). Conceptual and methodological flaws undermine claims of a link between the gut microbiome and autism. Neuron.
• Kevin Mitchell's Website

We are joined by Alexander Beiner, current founder of Kainos and former co-founder of Rebel Wisdom, to grapple with that eternally slippery concept: sensemaking. Naturally, this leads us through interdisciplinary adventurism, reflections on the (il)legitimacy of academia, and the recurring “meaning crisis” that haunts our times. Sense will be made, unmade, and possibly reinvented along the way.

Links

• Alexander's Substack: Kainos
• Alexander's recent documentary: Leviathan
• Our original episode that mentions Kainos
• A related discussion we had a while back on the Stoa
• Our previous episode with Jamie Wheal

Chris and Matt walk into a bar with an atheist sensemaker, an Ayurvedic Guru, and a Christian Apologist, and predictable frivolities ensue. Featuring not one but two good-natured, robust exchanges of opinion between our two hosts.

The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 hour, 42 minutes).

Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

Supplementary Material 39: Panpsychics, Sensemakers, and Bad Guys

00:00 Introduction

01:17 AI and the Music Industry

05:34 Is Chris a Bad Guy?

10:44 Vibe Physics with Travis Kalanick

16:10 Efforts to Falsify and AI

21:02 Gordon Pennycook with Sean Carroll: Vibes vs Analysis

32:44 Libertarianism and Personal Beliefs

35:10 A mini-debate on internal consistency

42:49 Matt's Personal Philosophy

44:16 Philosophical Feedback on the Sensemakers

55:06 Atheist vs Christian vs Spiritual Thinker

57:03 Dr. K's Role in the Discussion

01:09:01 Alex's Stance on Purpose

01:12:31 Dr. K's Perspective on Purpose

01:23:45 Dr. K and the Atheist pose

01:34:29 Philosophical Musings on Panpsychism

01:41:18 Outro

Sources

• Angela Collier: Conspiracy physics and you (and also me)
• All In Podcast: Travis Kalanick talks about AI (July 11, 2025)
• 333 | Gordon Pennycook on Unthinkingness, Conspiracies, and What to Do About Them
• Pennycook, G., Cheyne, J. A., Barr, N., Koehler, D. J., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2015). On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit. Judgment and Decision Making, 10(6), 549-563.
• The Diary of a CEO: Atheist vs Christian vs Spiritual Thinker: Is Not Believing In God Causing More Harm Than Good?!

In another exciting Required Reading episode, Chris and Matt offer their penetrating, high IQ thoughts on the latest book by journalist and podcast quizmaster, Helen Lewis. Titled 'The Genius Myth: The Dangerous Allure of Rebels, Monsters, and Rule Breakers', the book tears into some of the long-enduring myths surrounding historical and contemporary geniuses from Picasso to Elon Musk. It's a critical dissection of gurus and devoted fans, so very on topic! And yes, it is better than Cod...

Full episode is available to Patreons on the Revolutionary Genius tier! (1hr 13 mins).

Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

Links

• The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea by Helen Lewis
• Snippy Review at The Philosophers Magazine
• Less snippy review at the Observer

Required Reading: The Genius Myth

00:00 Book Review: Genius Myth

04:11 The Genius Myth: Book Thoughts!

07:02 Exploring the Concept of Genius

08:49 IQ Tests and High IQ Societies

10:55 Social Perception of Intelligence

12:20 Elon Musk and Modern Genius

16:08 Historical Perspectives on Genius

18:42 The people behind the Geniuses

25:15 The Role of Context and Luck

27:44 Mythmaking and Cultural Icons

45:01 The Flawed Genius Stereotype

50:50 What about Tim Robinson?

52:51 The deranging impact of attention

01:03:33 Overall Thoughts

01:12:44 Better than Cod

We welcome Al Murray, the comedian who might just be your new favourite historian, to Decoding the Gurus. In a crossover you probably didn’t expect, we discuss World War II, Wehraboos, gurus, and the contemporary comedy scene... something for all the family.

Along the way, we touch on British nostalgia, military fetishism, and self-styled “truth tellers”. A chat about history, humour, and hubris, not necessarily in that order.

Links

• We Have Ways of Making You Talk – Al Murray & James Holland
• Al Murray’s YouTube channel
• Follow Al on X (Twitter)

Kicking off cult season, Chris and Matt take a dip into the manipulative world of NXIVM founder and self-proclaimed 200-IQ “Vanguard,” Keith Raniere, as he talks with his then-disciple and ex-Hollywood actress, Allison Mack. Through a haze of pseudo-profound musings and decorative scholarship, Raniere sermonises on creativity, authenticity, and the human spirit, all while orchestrating a coercive sex cult built on obedience, sleep deprivation, and... volleyball.

Matt and Chris lament how his wordy self-help cosmology mirrors the rhetorical habits of secular gurus: the cultivation of parasocial intimacy, the disdain for anything mainstream, and the promise of “revolutionary” insights that will reveal your true self (for a fee). From the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle to “authentic soulfulness”, it’s a masterclass in generating pseudo-profound semantic fog, where love and pain blur into one transcendent teaching.

By the end, you may find yourself sharing Raniere’s final revelation about what it truly means to feel… nauseated.

Sources

• YouTube: Keith Raniere, Ringleader of NXIVM Sex Slave Cult, Interviewed by Allison Mack, Top Cult Member

Join Matt and Chris as they dive into the controversy-ridden world of the lab leak theory, accompanied by biochemist-turned-author Philipp Markolin. Philipp details his journey into the abyss of lab leak lore and sensationalist media, documenting how thorough research was pushed aside in favour of conspiratorial discourse. For those who dream of a world where science triumphs over sensationalism, this episode is your bittersweet symphony.

Links

• Philipp's Substack
• Lab Leak Fever Book Site
• New Documentary Movie about the Lab Leak
• Our previous episode on the Lab Leak
• Bad Boy of Science: Sam Gregson's channel that includes many interviews with Philipp and relevant scientists

We end the futile struggle, embrace the toxins, and become one with our mould brethren.

The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 38 minutes).

Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

Supplementary Material 38

00:00 Intro

02:54 Boomer Matt reacts to Twitter videos

07:31 Shellenberger and Tucker discuss the 9/11 Files

12:42 Eric's Google Ngram Investigations

17:08 Vindication on the Elephant Graveyard

22:00 Eric's ARC lecture goes viral

25:24 Andrew Huberman is NOT a phrenologist...

29:06 Eric Weinstein vs. Piers Morgan

33:44 Everyone knows Eric is a serious thinker

46:09 Peterson is taken out of the Gurusphere by Demons and Toxic Mould

52:09 Gurus and Bespoke Alternative Health

57:00 Social Contagion Hypocrisy

01:02:55 Toxic Mould Symbiosis?

01:04:46 Pewdiepie, Diogenes, and the Seeker Mindset

01:16:14 The Wisdom of the Ancients

01:21:01 The Meaning Crisis and Christian Pivots

01:22:29 Konstantin Kisin's surprising Christian pivot

01:25:17 The best person Konstantin ever met (not Francis)

01:30:22 The Fifth Column Agrees with Megyn Kelly 88% of the time

01:33:07 Megyn Kelly explains how the Democrats crossed the line and must pay

01:41:35 Intellectual Clerics for MAGA

01:43:16 Slightly Adversarial libertarians for hire

01:47:00 Drew Pavlou and Fluid Populism

01:50:17 Two Varieties of Online Derangement: Noah Smith's Hot Takes

01:53:57 Need for Attention = Desire for Virality

01:57:23 Status Seeking Networkers vs Paul Bloom

02:01:27 Reflecting on the Al Murray Interview

02:02:22 The struggle of podcasters

02:04:52 Paul Bloom: The best person in the world?

02:06:00 Mike Israetel's Thesis Controversy

02:10:30 What does a PhD mean?

02:16:55 David Deutsch visits Curt Jaimungal

02:22:32 The Dangers of Doubling Down: Pirate Software

02:23:32 Hasan Piker and Shock Collar-gate

02:27:15 Matt's Take on Shock Collars

02:33:51 Dystopia Update: Putin wants Trump to win the Nobel Prize

02:37:11 Outro

Sources

• Shellenberger and Tucker discuss the CIA’s role in 9/11
• Grok pressing Eric to get specific
• The Elephant Graveyard
• Viral post about Eric’s ARC speech on science
• Huberman’s phrenology endorsement
• Jordan Peterson’s Health Update from Mikhaila
• Chris Williamson: It’s time to talk about my health.
• Chang, C., & Gershwin, M. E. (2019). The myth of mycotoxins and mold injury. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 57(3), 449–455.
• Borchers, A. T., Chang, C., & Eric Gershwin, M. (2017). Mold and human health: A reality check. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 52(3), 305–322.
• PewDiePie: Help, I’m going through a midlife crisis…
• PewDiePie: Training like Mishima for 7 Days
• Megyn Kelly is All Out of Generosity - THE FIFTH COLUMN #526
• Konstantin Kisin declares Jordan Peterson the best man he has ever known
• Noah Smith’s recent hot takes
• Drew Pavlou: Attention Addict (Profile)
• Drew Pavlou: Attention Addict (Post)
• Solomon Nelson: Mike Israetel's PhD: The Biggest Academic Sham in Fitness?
• Curt Jaimungal - David Deutsch: Modern Academia Would Fail Einstein
• David Deutsch on Brexit and Error Correction
• Dr. Milo Wolf: Dr. Mike Responds: The Truth About His PhD
• Zirk Fitness: Mike Just Changed His Story AGAIN
• Chris’s PhD Thesis
• Internet Archivist - The Satisfying End of Pirate Software
• YouTube from Charlie that covers the Hasan Shock Video
• Forbes article on the Hasan Shock Collar Controversy
• The Moscow Times: Putin Praises Trump’s ‘Real Efforts’ Toward Peace, Blasts Nobel Committee

Matt and Chris once again take up their oars and plunge deeper into the recursive whirlpools of contemporary sensemaking. Picking up where Part 1 left off, having grappled with conscience, touchstones, hierarchies, and normativity, we return to the sensemaking labyrinth to see just how many more words and concepts the combined powers of Peterson, Vervaeke, and Hall can stretch to breaking point.

This second leg of the voyage allows us to chart more of the universal sensemaking grammar, with its biblical scaffolding, liberal use of metaphors, and frequent exhortations to ascend Jacob’s ladder. But alongside Peterson's predictable biblical musings, you can also thrill at unexpected treats like John Vervaeke unveiling how finite transcendence connects to inexhaustible intelligibility and Jordan Hall explaining that even silence can be a form of sensemaking.

Expect symbolic snakes, dangling ropes, and ecological psychology refashioned for mystical ascent, Augustine rediscovered through Plato, and culture reframed as an alcoholic parent. Or if you prefer, enjoy detours into atheists and their Luciferian egos, the sacred role of play, and the profound revelations that can be drawn from childhood disappointments at McDonald’s and grandfathers complaining about Nixonian duplicity

So join us for the final leg of the Sensemaking Odyssey. Sharpen your mind, get ready to traverse through 3D space, and prepare for an encounter with the Logos... in the context of listening to a podcast.

Sources

• A Dialogue So Dangerous, It Just Might Bring You Wisdom | John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall | EP 532