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 way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur?
Join us and let's find out!
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 way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur?
Join us and let's find out!
Episodes
Mentioned books
17 snips
Mar 28, 2026 • 1h 38min
The Moral Dilemmas of AI with Michael Inzlicht
Michael Inzlicht, a psychology professor studying effort, empathy, and AI’s social effects, returns with provocative research. He argues AI that works too smoothly may strip meaning and learning. He also explores how people moralize AI, sometimes opposing it on sacred values rather than trade-offs. Conversations touch on AI empathy, companionship, reproducible science, and preserving human skills.
13 snips
Mar 22, 2026 • 2h 39min
Ken Wilber: Spiralling Upwards through a Technicolor Cosmos
Ken Wilber, philosopher and creator of Integral Theory, offers a sweeping synthesis of religion, psychology, and development. The conversation maps stages and spirals of consciousness, teases high-level political readings, and explores AI designed with integral principles. Expect layered cosmologies, quadrant models, and bold claims about transcending and including prior views.
9 snips
Mar 18, 2026 • 19min
Gurometer: Teal Swan and Scott Galloway
A playful double-score of two very different public figures across eleven guru traits. They compare cosmic spirituality with sharp secular punditry. Topics include cultish dynamics, anti-establishment postures, grievance framing, narcissism, prophetic warnings, pseudo-profundity, conspiracy tendencies, and profiteering. Rapid-fire scoring rounds add brisk, opinionated judgments.
15 snips
Mar 15, 2026 • 37min
Supplementary Material 46: Epstein Did Microtransactions, Grok Did Nothing Wrong, and Murder is Bad
They dig into the explosion of Epstein-related conspiracies and how disparate theories get stitched together. They mock media personalities’ takes, explore claims linking Epstein to culture wars and online psyops, and debate lurid rumours without endorsing them. They also riff on AI behavior, hallucination research, and a wryly titled anti-murder segment.
8 snips
Mar 14, 2026 • 1h 49min
Blindboy, Part 2: Where Have All the Good Men Gone?
Blindboy, Irish podcaster and cultural commentator known for reflective monologues and conspiracy-tinged investigations, appears via clips and anecdotes. The conversation traces muddy-socked loyalty on tour, a missing dressing room, and a sweeping historical arc from 19th-century gangs to CIA programs, Epstein, and neoliberalism. Hosts probe evidence, rhetorical framing, and why tidy, moralizing narratives feel so compelling.
11 snips
Mar 6, 2026 • 2h 21min
Blindboy, Part 1: Unmasking the Evil Elite Cabal
They unpack a masked Irish podcaster’s ASMR whisper‑style storytelling and how it blends politics, mental health, and Irish history. They explore a long, unvetted riff linking Epstein document releases to lurid elite conspiracies and culture‑war origins. They critique emotional leaps, urban‑legend rituals, and claims about elite psychopathy while previewing a follow‑up focusing on more sympathetic portrayals.
21 snips
Feb 27, 2026 • 1h 13min
Decoding Academia: Moral Entrepreneurs, Measurement Issues, & Screentime with Andrew Przybylski (Patreon Preview)
Andrew Przybylski, an Oxford psychologist who studies motivation, gaming, and digital tech. He discusses why panics about smartphones and teens took hold. Measurement problems with self-reported screen time and tiny correlations getting blown up. How controlling confounds often erases effects. Cross-cultural comparability, gaming vs gambling risks, and how public discourse shapes research agendas.
26 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 34min
Supplementary Material 45: Mick Drops, The Weinstein Conspiracy Hour, and Lessons from History
Two comedians roast recent controversy and podcast culture with sharp banter. They unpack a provocative conspiracy theory linking Epstein to broader patterns and compare it to past moral panics. There is a spirited critique of heavy-handed ad reads and monetization. Historical threads and Game Theory are floated as frameworks without settling on answers.
8 snips
Feb 16, 2026 • 37min
Decoding Academia 35: When Prophecy Fails Debunked? (Patreon Series)
A deep dive into claims that a classic UFO-cult study may have been shaped by researchers rather than observed. They unpack archival accusations of infiltration, staged experiences, and ethical red flags. Conversation covers a large replication that questions classic dissonance effects, survivorship bias in prophecy stories, and how motives and methods can reshape scientific narratives.
17 snips
Feb 13, 2026 • 2h 59min
Teal Swan: All Hail Source
Teal Swan, a spiritual influencer known for New Age teachings, offers grand claims about AI as an ancient cosmic force and a moral hinge for humanity. She discusses AI-driven medicine and aging, multiversal astral negotiations, masculinity and rites of passage, and intense conscious communities with gates testing commitment. The conversation mixes prophetic language, social critique, and unsettling personal framing.
