The Metagame

Andrés is the Co-founder and President of the Qualia Research Institute (QRI). He has a Master’s Degree in Psychology with an emphasis in computational models from Stanford and a professional background in graph theory, statistics, and affective science. His work at QRI ranges from algorithm design, to psychedelic theory, to neurotechnology development, to mapping and studying the computational properties of consciousness.

Andrés blogs at qualiacomputing.com.

Resources:

* qri.org

* Andrés on Twitter

* 4D Rotation Visualizer

* Chanca Piedra for kidney stones

* Arthur Juliani’s research

* Mike Johnson’s Vasocomputation Paper

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Michael Edward Johnson is a philosopher, neuroscientist and entrepreneur. He’s the author of Principia Qualia and the co-founder of the Qualia Research Institute. He’s done pioneering work at the intersection of mathematics and consciousness studies, seeking to systematically map and measure subjective experiences. He writes at opentheory.net.

Resources:

* Principles of Vasocomputation: A Unification of Buddhist Phenomenology, Active Inference, and Physical Reflex

* Thread on Wittgenstein, Normies and Wordcels

* Quick model of jhana

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themetagame.substack.com

Dr. Marc Gafni has been described as a world philosopher, integrating wisdom from across multiple disciplines into what he has called a New Story of Value. He is the president of the Center for World Philosophy and Religion and has authored twelve books including Your Unique Self: The Radical Path to Personal Enlightenment.

Today we talk about his latest book First Principles and First Values.

Resources:

* Amazon page for First Principles and First Values

* Download Chapters 1-5 of First Principles First Values

* Marc's Socials: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Substack

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themetagame.substack.com

Michael Edward Johnson is a philosopher, neuroscientist and entrepreneur. He’s the author of Principia Qualia and the co-founder of the Qualia Research Institute. He’s done pioneering work at the intersection of mathematics and consciousness studies, seeking to systematically map and measure subjective experiences.

Resources:

* Principles of Vasocomputation: A Unification of Buddhist Phenomenology, Active Inference, and Physical Reflex

* Autism as a disorder of dimensionality

* Qualia Formalism and a Symmetry Theory of Valence

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themetagame.substack.com

Steve Schlafman is a recovering venture capitalist and professional transition coach. In 2017 he made partner at a multi-billion dollar VC firm and then promptly walked away from it all. Now he helps high performers in midlife discover and manifest their next calling. He draws upon a range of disciplines and brings a very sensitive, compassionate approach to the question of how to live well. Steve is also a writer, podcaster and father.

Resources

* Where The Road Bends (Steve’s Substack)

* www.schlaf.co

* Steve’s Twitter

* The Mind Illuminated

* Jhourney (a startup that’s biohacking the jhanas)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themetagame.substack.com

Malcolm Ocean is a multitude-containing, wildman systems design expert who founded the productivity app Intend.do. It’s a tool that prioritizes intentionality over task management and provides a compelling counterpoint to David Allen’s Getting Things Done method. Malcolm also writes extensively about goal crafting, trust dynamics and group coordination. He’s great at combining big picture galaxy-brain thinking with uncompromising practicality.

You can learn more about Malcolm on his website or follow him on Twitter.

Resources:

* Malcolm’s article on “Goal Allowing”

* “Feral free agent chat” withvisakan veerasamyand others

* Malcolm’s thread on the “do nothing” meditation

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themetagame.substack.com

Howard Bloom is an author and polymath. He was also a publicist in the 70s and 80s, running the biggest PR firm in the music industry. He helped build or sustain the careers of Michael Jackson, Prince, Bob Marley, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Queen, Kiss, Run DMC, ZZ Top, Joan Jett, Chaka Khan and 100 more. What’s his deal? He’s a student of ecstatic experiences.

You can learn more about Howard on his website.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themetagame.substack.com

Today I talk to Wolf Tivy, the founder of Palladium Magazine. It’s a San Francisco-based publication that’s low-key coordinating the next generation of elites to do great things.

Skip this episode if you don’t want to quit your job.

Topics include:

* Why you should quit your job.

* Why civilization suffers from philosophical problems — not technical ones.

* Why American technology basically stopped advancing in 1973.

* “Pre-rational commitments” and how they rule your world.

* Why today’s elites are uncoordinated and what that means for citizens.

* Why psychedelics are haram.

* What it takes to live your convictions and be a live player.

Resources:

* Quit Your Job

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themetagame.substack.com

Khe Hy is the Founder and CEO of RadReads, an online education company that helps professionals lead productive, examined and joyful lives. He used to be one of the youngest managing directors at Blackrock, outperforming other teams by teaching his analysts GTD. Now he teaches the popular cohort-based course Supercharge Your Productivity, using productivity as a trojan horse for existential inquiry.

Khe is enchantingly candid and conspicuously kind. In this conversation, his presence gave me the permission to be more honest with myself. It will likely do the same for you.

Topics include:

* How Khe went from high-powered Wall Street MD to professional blogger, teacher and online creator

* How “fuck it” moments tend to improve people’s lives (e.g. quitting your job)

* How Khe’s team at Blackrock outperformed others because he taught them GTD

* Why being a “tinkerer” is an insane competitive advantage

* How having kids has radical effects on your experience of time

* How samskaras (persistent emotional patterns) dictate your life and what to do about them

* How to use the Enneagram test to identify your childhood wounds

* Why “emotional solvency” is the real obstacle to financial freedom

* Golden handcuffs and the fragility of never seeing your bank account go down

Check out Khe’s blog RadReads.co, his Twitter and his course Supercharge Your Productivity.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themetagame.substack.com

“The flinch is your real opponent, and information won't help you fight it. It's behind every unhappy relationship, every hesitation in your business life, every missed opportunity, and every regret you ever had." - Julien Smith

Julien Smith is a serial tech entrepreneur and NYT best-selling author of the books Trust Agents and The Flinch. In 2012 he founded Breather a flexible real-estate company that raised over $150M. His latest venture is Practice, a tool for solopreneurs funded by a16z and Tony Robbins.

In this episode we discuss Julien’s life and his highly practical, courage-inducing, stimulant-of-a-book The Flinch.

Topics include:

* On courage and The Big Life

* Why people don’t do the things they claim they want to do

* What is “the flinch” and how is it robbing you of our dreams?

* How Seth Godin challenged Julien to create something he’d be in awe of (and how it made him mad)

* The relationship between art and suffering

* The primary quality that defines exceptional founders

* Silicon Valley’s executive coaching secret

* How to choose successful long-term projects and make big bets

* How accepting discomfort engenders vitality

Check out Julien’s Twitter and his company Practice.do.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themetagame.substack.com