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PODCAST

Ancient Futures

Timeless wisdom for modern dilemmas, combining yoga philosophy, practical insight and critical thinking. Hosted by Daniel Simpson. ancientfutures.substack.com

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

67:07

Enlightened Choices – Simon Haas

Ancient Futures ·

2025/12/17

What does it mean to choose wisely? Which kinds of values support this? To what extent are they related to ethics? How similar are Indian traditions to modern ideas about what to prioritise? Might teachings need reframing to speak to us clearly?Simon Haas presents ancient wisdom for everyday life. He is the author of The Book of Dharma – subtitled “Making Enlightened Choices” – and Yoga and the Dark Night of the Soul, which draws on ideas from the Bhagavad Gītā. He’s also spoken on these topics at

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71:04

Kuṇḍalinī Experiences – Sravana Borkataky-Varma +...

Ancient Futures ·

2025/12/03

What exactly is Kuṇḍalinī? It depends... What began as an energetic metaphor has morphed into a framework for transcending trauma, and much else besides. Does a snake-like entity really ascend? What sparks the experience? If it happens by chance, how should someone respond? There are few simple answers.Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Anya Foxen are co-authors of The Serpent’s Tale, subtitled “Kuṇḍalinī, Yoga and the History of an Experience.” Both are scholars as well as practitioners – of Tantra

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60:15

Practical Wisdom – Jessica Böhme

Ancient Futures ·

2025/11/19

What if change had more to do with relationships than miracle solutions? Which priorities help them work better? How does one take meaningful action without having the power to determine its outcomes? Who ought to act if not us?In this podcast, I talk about these questions – along with many others – with Jessica Böhme, PhD. Jes is the founder and director of the Institute for Practical ekoPhilosophy, “a post-disciplinary research and education institute dedicated to cultivating wisdom as a way of

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67:35

Breath Cultivation – Lena Kraler

Ancient Futures ·

2025/11/05

What distinguishes contemporary breath-control from earlier prāṇāyāma? 💨To what extent have external influences shaped Indian practices? How have things changed since the mid-nineteenth century? How might that relate to broader trends in yoga history?Lena Kraler is the author of Yoga Breath: Prāṇa and Prāṇāyāma in Early Modern Yoga. Her research explores the reinterpretation of breath-based techniques in light of ideas from Western occultism, fitness and science, as well as Hindu reform movements

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69:45

Le Carré in Action – Michela Wrong

Ancient Futures ·

2025/10/22

What distinguishes fiction from facts? John le Carré is renowned for Cold War spy thrillers, yet over half his books were published after 1990 and they tackled modern issues that he had to research. A new exhibition in Oxford documents his methods, and spotlights the networks of experts who helped him.An accompanying book – titled Tradecraft: Writers on John le Carré – explores their experiences. Reflecting on her trip with the author to Congo, Michela Wrong sheds light on the collaborative

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69:47

Transformative Stories – Lily Dunn

Ancient Futures ·

2025/10/08

What was the impact of the Osho / Rajneesh cult on the families of members? Why might some people struggle to heal old wounds? To what extent is abuse of children still unacknowledged? How can telling one’s story facilitate recovery?Lily Dunn is an author, teacher and mentor of literary memoir. She explores its potential in her new book, Into Being, which cites many writers including herself – Lily’s last book, Sins of My Father, describes her enchantment with an absent parent, who joined the

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75:17

Studying Yoga – Theo Wildcroft + Barbora Sojkova

Ancient Futures ·

2025/09/24

What might scholars learn from yoga practitioners, as well as vice versa? To what extent do their worldviews differ? Are their methods of inquiry compatible? Since many academics also practise yoga, as well as educating teachers via courses and trainings, can these roles be compartmentalised?Theo Wildcroft and Barbora Sojkova are the co-editors of a new book titled Yoga Studies in Five Minutes, presenting short summaries of scholarly knowledge from a burgeoning field. Each of its chapters – written

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67:28

Embodied Resistance – Anjali Rao

Ancient Futures ·

2025/09/10

What might we learn from the marginalised stories of women in yogic traditions? 🧘‍♀️Although female practitioners are prevalent today, ancient texts mostly talk about men. However, broadening the focus beyond ascetic yogis, we find empowered women – as well as awkward truths about social restrictions.Anjali Rao is the author of Yoga as Embodied Resistance: A Feminist Lens on Caste, Gender, and Sacred Resilience in Yoga History. Our conversation explores hidden links between gender and caste, and

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59:23

Natural Harmony? – Daniel Simpson

Ancient Futures ·

2025/08/27

What does it mean to be well in yogic terms? How far does this involve integration with natural surroundings? 🌳Many early teachings prioritise the opposite, promoting withdrawal and inward focus, while the goal in the best-known text – Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra – is to disengage completely from material things.This podcast includes a talk I presented this summer at a British Wheel of Yoga event, whose themes were harmony, nature, community and wellbeing (slides available here). I was asked to present

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71:16

Shall All Be Well? – Hannah Lucas

Ancient Futures ·

2025/08/13

What can we learn from a medieval hermit about how to live? A surprising amount perhaps. Julian of Norwich is the author of the oldest surviving book by a woman in English – her Revelations of Divine Love provides a fascinating guide to what it means to be well despite experiencing suffering.Hannah Lucas is a scholar of Julian’s work, among other medieval contemplative literature. She explores the entanglement of illness and insight in her recent book Impossible Recovery: Julian of Norwich and the

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72:35

Evolving Traditions – Richard Davis

Ancient Futures ·

2025/07/30

To what extent has yoga been influenced by socio-political forces, or competition for resources between different groups? Does understanding historical context help to make sense of teachings? What might we learn from the past that’s still relevant today?Richard Davis is an emeritus professor of religion at Bard College in New York. His latest book, Religions of Early India: A Cultural History, explores the fluidity of ancient traditions, including interactions between Brahmanical renouncers,

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59:37

Moulding Minds – Jessica Frazier

Ancient Futures ·

2025/07/16

What does it mean to have mental plasticity? ♳Unless the mind is to some extent controlled, it controls our experience. This axiom of yoga philosophy has helpful applications in everyday life – from avoiding being triggered by politics to making wise choices.Jessica Frazier is a lecturer at Oxford University, and also a fellow of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. She recently organised a conference that discussed the radical nature of Indian ideas about self-transformation. This podcast includes

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81:08

Harm Reduction – JS Rafaeli

Ancient Futures ·

2025/07/02

What might the world look like if heroin was provided on prescription at local pharmacies? 💉This is not a thought experiment. It used to be the basis of a policy that experts call the “British System” – in the early 1960s in London, the biggest dealer of drugs was Boots the Chemists.JS Rafaeli is the author of Drug Wars, which documents this history and the crackdown that buried it. His collaborator – Neil Woods – is a retired undercover detective whose experience convinced him the “war on drugs”

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74:12

Embracing Uncertainty – Daniel Simpson

Ancient Futures ·

2025/06/18

To what extent is knowledge an obstacle? Is ignorance bliss? 🤔Although it can be helpful to admit to not knowing, it rarely feels comfortable. I’ve been reflecting on that recently while working on some writing about yoga and politics, and it’s also a theme on my year-long course, The Path of Knowledge.This podcast discusses distinctions between what sounds true and what’s verifiable, as well as yogic tensions in seeking the truth by transcending the known. It also talks about the limits of

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68:52

Awake Like Blake – Mark Vernon

Ancient Futures ·

2025/06/04

Were the all-embracing visions of William Blake shaped by Indian philosophy? 🪷A new book by Mark Vernon explores what inspired Blake alongside his influence. Although he died 200 years ago, he was a prophet for our times, perceiving the spirit of some of the issues we're still grappling with – from rapid technological change to mass discontent and estrangement from nature.Blake is probably best known as an artist and writer, but he was also a mystic and an intellectual critic. Disillusioned by

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77:53

Sacred Geography – Yeshe Palmo

Ancient Futures ·

2025/05/21

What does it mean to inhabit a world that’s alive with deities, which might be less like gods than enlightened aspects of the mind? How could that influence how we relate to ourselves, to each other and to our surroundings?Yeshe Palmo has practised tantric Buddhism for roughly four decades, inspired by an empowerment from the Dalai Lama in 1985. Her teacher was Thrangu Rinpoche and in recent years she’s worked with Mingyur Rinpoche's Awareness Yoga – on which more here, along with a video of Yeshe

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67:10

Nature Spirits – Sushma Jansari

Ancient Futures ·

2025/05/07

What inspired the creation of Indian sacred images? They played no part in early Vedic rituals, in which priests made offerings into a fire, asking gods for reciprocal blessings. Others did something similar with embodiments of nature, whose spirits – called yakṣas and yakṣīs – were sculpted in earthenware and stone.A new exhibition at the British Museum charts links between these figures and depictions of deities and enlightened teachers revered by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. It also highlights

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78:30

Psychedelic Yoga? – Stuart Sarbacker

Ancient Futures ·

2025/04/23

Do yogic practices and psychoactive substances lead somewhere similar? Stuart Sarbacker is a scholar and practitioner of yoga based in Oregon, where adult use of psilocybin – the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms – was recently legalised (though some places opt out).As well as studying and teaching yoga, Stuart has also trained to facilitate sessions with psilocybin. His work looks at the overlaps between ancient history and modern engagement with psychedelics, both therapeutically and for

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68:54

Identity Crises – Michael Holden

Ancient Futures ·

2025/04/09

Life can be both physically and mentally fragile – as Michael Holden explores with candid humour. His most recent book, The Reluctant Carer, describes moving in with his ailing parents, and trying to look after them while navigating multiple personal setbacks.One of these – not featured in the book – involved being handcuffed and taken to hospital from a meditation retreat. He subsequently wrote about that for Esquire, discussing the potential risks of contemplative practice, and a fine line between

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70:03

Spiritual Cannabliss? – Karan Madhok

Ancient Futures ·

2025/03/26

What makes it holy to get really stoned? This is an unavoidable question in India, where smoking cannabis is banned but done by dreadlocked devotees. Meanwhile, weed smoothies are frequently drunk at religious festivals.The writer Karan Madhok investigates this paradox – along with many others – in his new book Ananda, subtitled “An Exploration of Cannabis in India”. It also covers lots of other subjects, including cultural history, indigenous medicine, politicised religion, the pleasures of travel

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