Description
We've had a lot of new listeners join us of the past year, so while we're hard at work on our next season, we thought we'd share some favorites you might have missed from the archives.Have you ever heard a voice, seen an image, or felt a presence around you that you couldn’t explain? If you have, you’re not alone. More people than you might think report having these kinds of experiences. For some, it can be easy to write these off as tricks of the mind. But for others, especially the religious and spiritually-inclined, these events are often transformative and can profoundly alter the way they feel about their faith. So how is it that gods come to feel real to people? What do these experiences do for those who have them? And why, sometimes, does it feel like the supernatural world is connecting with us out of the blue?Tanya Luhrmann is an anthropologist at Stanford University. Find out more about her book, How God Becomes Real: Kindling the Presence of Invisible Others, on her website, where you’ll also find links to her other writing and media appearances.Michael Ferguson is a neuroscientist at Harvard University. Find out more about his research and teaching through his website.Reverend Liz Milner is ordained in the Episcopal Church. She works with prison inmates in northern California.Episode info and transcript available here.
There’s no question we’re living in difficult times that lead many of us to adopt a cynical outlook. But while cynicism might feel smart, science shows it’s corrosive not only to our own wellbeing, but to society as a whole. We’ll talk to Stanford Professor of Psychology Jamil Zaki about the...
Published 10/27/24
We spend a lot of time on How God Works talking about how spirituality can offer tools to become better versions of ourselves. And while learning to be happier, healthier and more resilient are all positive things to strive for, they can also lead us down a different path - an obsession with...
Published 10/13/24