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PODCAST

Decoding the Gurus

Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne

An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of "secular gurus", iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights. Leveraging two of the most diverse accents in modern podcasting, Chris and Matt dig deep into the claims, peek behind the psychological curtains, and try to figure out once and for all... What"s it all About? Join us, as we try to puzzle our

society & culture social sciences

All Episodes

01:12:10

Right to Reply: A Dialogos about Sensemaking with...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/11/03

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.LinksAlexander's Substack: KainosAlexander's recent documentary: LeviathanOur original episode that

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37:58

Supplementary Material 39: Bad Guys, Panpsychists,...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/11/01

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/DecodingTheGurusSupplementary Material 39: Panpsychics, Sensemakers, and Bad Guys00:00 Introduction01:17 AI and the Music Industry05:34 Is Chris a Bad Guy?10:44

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16:44

Required Readings: The Genius Myth by Helen Lewis

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/10/29

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

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01:07:17

Discussing Nazis and Gurus with Al Murray

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/10/28

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.LinksWe Have Ways of Making You Talk – Al Murray & James HollandAl

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03:08:49

Keith Raniere: The Serpent and the Cognitive Fog

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/10/26

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

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01:13:43

Lab Leak Fever with Philipp Markolin

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/10/18

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.LinksPhilipp's SubstackLab Leak Fever Book SiteNew Documentary

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49:51

Supplementary Material 38: Toxic Mould Symbiosis,...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/10/14

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/DecodingTheGurusSupplementary Material 3800:00 Intro02:54 Boomer Matt reacts to Twitter videos07:31 Shellenberger and Tucker discuss the 9/11 Files12:42 Eric's Google Ngram Investigations17:08 Vindication on the Elephant Graveyard22:00 Eric's ARC lecture goes viral25:24 Andrew Huberman is NOT a

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02:36:42

A Sense-Making Odyssey, Part 2: Jordan Peterson, John...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/09/25

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

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41:48

Supplementary Material 37: Public Murder Discourse,...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/09/20

Why are we never invited to these dinners? We wonder if it was something we said or if our invitation just got lost in the mail, as we endure the inevitable discourse wave that followed in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder.The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 21 minutes).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSupplementary Material 3700:00Introduction01:10Cooking Gurus?05:39Sensemaking Overindulgence07:19Feedback on The Elephant Graveyard Segment14:07Gary is

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02:15:09

A Sense-Making Odyssey, Part 1: Jordan Peterson, John...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/09/11

Join Matt and Chris as they enter an intellectual labyrinth of recursive sensemaking featuring the combined insights of Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke, and Jordan Hall. You will learn about many, many deep and complex concepts and puzzle over definitions of conscience, the vertical hierarchy, value, normativity, goals & ideals, quests, the ultimate unifying meta-narrative, self-sacrifice, and touchstones.With frequent excursions into a wild assortment of biblical stories, Platonic philosophy,

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45:37

Supplementary Material 36: Comedy Cults, Toxic Mould,...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/08/29

We risk contamination with toxic mould, endure distressing initiation rituals to a comedy cult, and ponder if the narratives we have received about the Nazis have enough nuance.The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 21 minutes).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSupplementary Material 3600:00 Introduction and an Intervention01:59 Tomatoes, Holidays, and Hollywood Remakes06:15 AI x Indulgent People06:41 AI Chatbots and Delusional Gurus10:46 Sir Robert Edward

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29:43

Supplementary Material 35: Cult Leaders, Gurus, and...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/08/19

We face a disciplinary crisis as the twin pillars of Game Theory and Gurometry are called into question.The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 hour, 35 minutes).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSupplementary Material 3500:05 Introduction 01:52 Matt's Apology06:55 Just Life...12:34 Matt's Foodie Corner14:01 Dedunking Dan Richards finds Sabine16:37 Sabine cultivates parasocial defenders18:16 Ana Kasparian gets deeper into ZOG conspiracies24:44 Gary vs Game

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03:08:40

Naval Ravikant: Predictable Polemics and Empty Aphorisms

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/08/18

In this watery simulation of an episode, Matt and Chris uncover the true purpose of Scott Adams’ existence: not to shape reality, but to provide training data for future AIs working on plumbing-related problems. Somewhere in a cosmic server farm, Scott is endlessly confronted with blocked drains, dripping faucets, and municipal water conspiracies, while his “insights” fuel the next generation of household maintenance bots.Against this surreal backdrop, Naval Ravikant enters the scene — investor,

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01:19:39

Exploring the Manosphere with James Bloodworth

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/08/09

In this episode, we immerse ourselves in the potent juices of the manosphere with British journalist and author James Bloodworth. James recently published Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the Manosphere and takes us on a whirlwind tour of various misogynistic and anti-feminist subcultures, including pickup artists, incels, and the blue, red, and black pill communities. Drawing on his personal experiences and research, James discusses the appeal and dangers of the manosphere, touching on themes

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48:46

Supplementary Material 34: Giants, Grifters, and...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/08/06

We drown in waves of ideological fluidity as the gurusphere continues to crash all around us.Supplementary Material 3400:00 Introduction01:26 Irish Stew and Dog Exercise Report03:45 A new 276 IQ Genius11:47 Fresh and Fit Antisemitism16:51 Are things getting dumber?21:22 Asmongold on the Epstein Files24:53 Epstein Conspiratorial Discourse helps Ghislaine Maxwell29:00 Vinay Prasad resigns from his MAGA position31:17 Eric Weinstein is the Architect of the Great Reset!32:37 Google Eyed Loons vs. Willing

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03:41:20

A Return to Gary World

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/07/30

In this exhausting deep dive, Matt and Chris take a break from counting their billionaire stipends to devote (what some might call) an inordinate amount of time to Gary Stevenson’s recent appearance with a challenging interviewer: Tomás from Despolariza. They grapple with the indeterminacy of Schrödinger’s Gary, who oscillates between being an economic and mathematical genius revealing what THEY don’t want you to know on YouTube, and a pragmatic but selfless political activist who oversimplifies

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59:02

Mini Decoding: Sabine's Contrarian Outrage- How Dare...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/07/25

In this mini-decoding, Matt and Chris examine Sabine Hossenfelder's recent fervent defence of Eric Weinstein and her sharp rebuke of his critics, including Sean Carroll. Sabine suggests that Eric poses a genuine threat to the physics establishment and that he is terrifying them by exposing their weak points. Moreover, according to Sabine, Geometric Unity, Eric's homegrown Theory of Everything, is on par with String Theory, if not better, since it wastes less money! This episode takes a critical look

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39:40

Supplementary Material 33: Weinstein Enigmas, The...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/07/18

In this packed supplementary episode, we tackle all of the urgent global issues, ranging from Epstein file conspiracies to Matt’s immense love of a fantasy game where dwarves punch ducks for fun. Along the way, we’re joined by a stellar cast of commentators, including some old favourites. Strap in… it’s a long one.Supplementary Material 3300:00 Introductory Banter: Old Squeaky and Matt's Wall04:40 Mecha Hitler's rampage07:46 Grok's Controversial Behavior11:12 Linda Yaccarino's grinning departure

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28:53

Required Readings: Buddhism - A Journey Through History

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/07/02

In this episode of "Decoding Academia: Required Readings", Chris and Matt take a joint stroll through the history of Buddhism through Donald S. Lopez Jr.'s latest book, 'Buddhism: A Journey Through History.' We discuss the unexpected historical and cultural facets of Buddhism, how modern interpretations can often romanticise ancient practices, and whether Matt's mind has been blown. We also consider important issues like the Buddha's retractable penis, incredibly long tongue, and just how strongly

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01:06:48

Mind, Culture & Visual Illusions: Dorsa Amir and Chaz...

Decoding the Gurus ·

2025/07/01

In this academic-themed interview episode of Decoding the Gurus, Matt and Chris sit down to chat with Dorsa Amir and Chaz Firestone (@chazfirestone) about their recent paper 'Is Visual Perception WEIRD? The Müller-Lyer Illusion and the Cultural Byproduct Hypothesis.'In a conversation that serves as a welcome tonic to the endless lamentations of the gurus about academic groupthink and closed-minded silos, Dorsa and Chaz discuss the interdisciplinary nature of their work, debates around universal vs

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