Listening that makes my mind/soul expand?

February 21, 2018 10:31 AM

Recommendations for mind blowing lectures/convos with iconoclasts?

I like long form, academic, original, quirky, captivating lectures, conversations, or podcasts with iconoclasts on interesting subjects. I enjoy Alan Watts lectures, Joe Rogan (if he's talking to someone really interesting), some Hardcore History, the Feynman lectures. I want to feel my mind/soul expand :-) while listening.

What I'm not interested in is shorter form, more mainstream listening like TEDTalks, Philosophy Bites, How It Works, Revisionist History, etc.

posted by xammerboy to Education (7 answers total)

Best answer: I'm struggling to totally understand what you mean by feeling your 'mind/soul expand' but Janet Mock's 25-minute talk on embracing otherness in a 2015 Super Soul Session definitely helped me see the world in a new way.
posted by mdonley at 11:14 AM on February 21, 2018

Response by poster: I think you put it well: help me see/understand the world in a new way
posted by xammerboy at 11:39 AM on February 21, 2018

Best answer: These are people whose lectures greatly impacted me, any them are easy to find if you google their name and the word lecture:
Timothy Snyder
Charles Taylor
Ira Katznelson
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Sandel
Slavenka Drakulic
Ivan Krastev
Agnes Heller
Judit Butler

And these (they passed away but a great number of their lectures are in you tube)
Peter L Berger
Zygmunt Baumann
posted by 15L06 at 12:39 PM on February 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You might enjoy Joseph Campbell’s lectures. I’ve been listening to them via Apple Music but I’m sure they are on YouTube as well.
posted by machinecraig at 1:37 PM on February 21, 2018

Response by poster: I do enjoy Joseph Campbell. Online I find snippets of about 10 mins, but I would be interested if anyone knows where I can find longer, free lectures, that aren't the Power of Myth.
posted by xammerboy at 2:04 PM on February 21, 2018

Best answer: Calm-voiced 70s zen hippy Alan Watts is amazing.
posted by Sebmojo at 5:14 PM on February 21, 2018

Best answer: This might be too mainstream for you, but I often have that mind/soul expansion feeling from OnBeing podcasts. They also release the unedited versions, which aren't so produced and allow for longer digressions from the guests, which can be really interesting. I think that Krista Tippett does a great job of allowing for deep conversations about thorny matters that might not have easy resolutions.
posted by hessie at 10:08 AM on February 22, 2018