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PODCAST

Life Examined

Life Examined is a one-hour weekly podcast exploring psychology, philosophy, spirituality — and finding meaning in the modern world. The show is hosted by Jonathan Bastian.

society & culture

All Episodes

5:00

Midweek Reset: Connecting with teens

Life Examined ·

2025/03/05

This week, psychologist and author of “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents,” Lisa Damour addresses one of the toughest challenges in parenting - communicating and connecting with teenage children. When it comes to exactly what that means, Damour suggests that parents typically see communicating with their teens as an opportunity to impose their ideas or agendas and that’s a mistake. What most kids want is

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53:28

Poet David David Whyte on death, anxiety, and MDMA

Life Examined ·

2025/03/02

David Whyte, poet and author of “Consolations II: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words,” reflects on the transformative power of the poetry and its ability to rekindle our emotions - from anguish and anxiety, to death, humor and joy. Whyte shares personal experiences, time spent in the Himalayas, and the vital role that humor, laughter and a daily blessing have on his life.

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4:28

Midweek Reset: Marriage Actually

Life Examined ·

2025/02/26

This week, writer and author of Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story, Leslie Jamison reflects on her childhood marriage fantasy and says when it comes to love and marriage we all want that perfect Hollywood ending. However all too often marriages don’t actually work like that but Jamison points out that even when the love is gone from a marriage - as she saw with her own parents, the mutual respect and friendship remained..and that too can be an equally wonderful gift.

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53:29

Understanding anxiety — and its surprising upside

Life Examined ·

2025/02/23

Episode description: Jonathan Bastian talks with Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Emotion Regulation Lab at Hunter College, about the anxiety epidemic and her book “Future Tense; Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad).”“Anxiety is a feature of being human,” Dennis-Tiwary says. “It’s not a bug, it's not a malfunction. We can learn and work through it.” Delve deeper into

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4:15

Midweek Reset: Toxic Positivity

Life Examined ·

2025/02/19

This week, cognitive scientist and professor of psychology at Yale University Lori Santos explains that negative emotions are very much part of the human experience and essential to leading a happy life. Leaning into these emotions and accepting them is better for us than trying to dismiss or suppress them.

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53:29

Baratunde Thurston: how black communities are...

Life Examined ·

2025/02/16

Baratunde Thurston, comedian, writer and host of the TV series “America Outdoors,” on PBS reflects on life growing up in Mount Pleasant, Washington DC and how his mother instilled a passion for all things outdoors. Thurston explains why there’s such a misconception around the outdoors being a “white space,” the complex relationship Black people have to the land and the influence Indigenous communities had on teaching us how to live with one another

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4:40

Midweek Reset: Sleep

Life Examined ·

2025/02/12

This week, Kenneth Miller, writer and author of "Mapping the Dark; The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked The Mysteries of Sleep," offers a practical approach for insomniacs. Instead of investing in expensive gadgets, technology, pillows or pharmaceuticals, which can have the side effect of making us even more anxious, examine the root of your sleep problem. The key to getting a good night's rest may lie in simple and cost effective solutions- like regular sleep habits, exercise

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53:28

The Black Utopians; vision, history, and legacy

Life Examined ·

2025/02/09

Ruha Benjamin, sociologist and professor of African American Studies at Princeton University discusses the concept of "us topia" as an alternative between dystopia and utopia, which accomodates shaping the future through collective agency. Benjamin says technology also can play a role in representing the public good and shares the example of Barcelona’s Decidim app which promotes democratic participation in city governance. Aaron Robertson, author and writer talks about

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4:30

Midweek Reset: On Attachment Styles

Life Examined ·

2025/02/05

This week, Amir Levine, associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and co-author of Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love, explains why people with secure attachment styles are not only more loving, trusting and easier to live with but why choosing to be around ‘secures’ can modulate our own behavior and help us in turn become more secure.

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53:25

Dan Winter’s End; dementia and the controversial...

Life Examined ·

2025/02/02

Lewis Cohen, a psychiatrist and dementia researcher and Jeff Zesiger, a hospice specialist, discuss the complexities of end-of-life decisions for dementia patients. Cohen, talks about the subject of his book “Winter’s End: Dementia and Dying Well,” Dan Winter who decided to end his life at 61 due to early-onset dementia. Zesiger highlights the challenges of making end-of-life choices with dementia, noting the conundrum in that the six month requirement for

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4:20

Midweek Reset: On The Cosmos

Life Examined ·

2025/01/29

This week,Kelsey Johnson, astronomer and author of Into the Unknown:The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos talks about the Cosmos and the moral necessity of exploring existential questions about it’s and our existence. Johnson says nurturing our curiosity and cultivating a deeper connection with the stars in the night sky helps us gain a greater perspective of who we are and our place in the Cosmos.This episode of Life Examined with Kelsey Johnson was

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53:28

Learning from Silence; Pico Iyer on the...

Life Examined ·

2025/01/27

Writer and author Pico Iyer chronicles his over one hundred retreats to a small Benedictine hermitage high above the ocean in Big Sur, Northern California. Sharing personal experiences and stories, Iyer delves into the transformative nature of silence, contemplation and solitude.

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4:10

Midweek Reset: On Arrival Fallacy

Life Examined ·

2025/01/22

This week, Alex Hutchison, writer and author of Endure and The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map, talks about the Arrival Fallacy - that what we expect to feel after we accomplish a goal like getting a promotion or running a marathon sometimes doesn’t quite match up with our expectations. Rather than seeking a life changing transformation, Hutchinsons says to focus on the satisfaction and joy that’s gained

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53:30

LA on fire

Life Examined ·

2025/01/19

In the aftermath of the massive devastation, loss of life, homes and communities due to the recent fires in Los Angeles, George Bonanno, Margot Kushell and Carolyn Korsmeyer talk about trauma, resilience and why our homes and possessions are an integral part of who we are and the legacy we leave.

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4:30

Midweek Reset: On Trauma and Resiliency

Life Examined ·

2025/01/15

This week, Brad Stulberg writer and author of “Master Of Change: How To Excel When Everything Is Changing - Including You,” shares hopeful observations from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and reminds us that it takes time, sometimes months to recover from a large trauma but that given time despair will turn to resilience and people are able to move forward.

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53:23

Endurance and the edge of death: unraveling the...

Life Examined ·

2025/01/12

Author and palliative care doctor Sunita Puri reflects on the hope that drives people to hold on to life, and the uncertainties surrounding death. Endurance athlete and author Alex Hutchinson talks about the psychology and physiology behind human endurance.

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4:30

Midweek Reset: On Variety

Life Examined ·

2025/01/08

This week MIT cognitive scientist and author Tali Sharot reflects on how variety and breaking up routines and habits can help foster a reset and restore joy in our lives. Traveling or learning a new skill can be stimulating, challenging and lead us to a greater sensitivity and appreciation of life.

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53:26

Exploring the cosmos: Astronomer Kelsey Johnson helps...

Life Examined ·

2025/01/05

Johnsons points out that being engaged in the larger questions of our existence is also healthy for us. “We need this exposure to the universe to invoke humility, to kindle our humanity, to really spark creativity and curiosity.”Johnson also speculates on the existence of extraterrestrial life and unexplained sightings, suggesting that, given the vastness of the cosmos, it’s more likely than not that other forms of life exist. “I think it's probably more

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53:59

The Japanese art of happiness: From ikigai, to...

Life Examined ·

2024/12/29

*This episode originally aired on July 23, 2023. Navigating the relentless pace of the modern world often means being bombarded by daily distractions, sleep deprived and perhaps a little stressed or anxious. It’s not easy. When it comes to looking for a moment of reflection and recalibration, it’s worthwhile to reexamine some of the philosophies and practices rooted in one of the world’s oldest cultures: Japan. Jonathan Bastian talks withPico Iyer, travel

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53:26

Winter wisdom: Katherine May on grief, loss, and the...

Life Examined ·

2024/12/22

Writer and winter enthusiast Katherine May revels in the winter months. While the long, dark evenings invite us to huddle indoors and disconnect from the world, they also offer a chance for reflection, remembrance, and a reset in our lives. As May explains, this season is a time to pause and recalibrate for many. “Winter is a season of dread as a time of year when grief surfaces. There are people who will be spending their first Christmas alone, or maybe their fifth

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