Gavin Haynes

My guest today is Gavin Haynes, a freelance journalist, writer, presenter and former editor-at-large at Vice. He's here to talk to us about the Purity Spiral. How a process of moral outbidding is corroding communities from within.

Episode 156: Gavin Haynes on the Purity Spiral

In this week's podcast, the chair of the Middle Way Society, Robert M Ellis talks to us about his most recent book 'The Thought of Sangharakshita: A Critical Assessment'.

Episode 155: Robert M Ellis on the Thought of Sangharakshita

Anna Markey

In this latest member profile, Anna Markey talks to us about her background in Australia, her time spent in India as a young woman and her initial engagement with Buddhism. She then goes on to talk about her interest in language and her career as a teacher, why she joined the society and what her understanding is of the Middle Way.

Episode 153: Member profile, Anna Markey

Stephen Batchelor

An extract from an interview with Stephen Batchelor for the Middle Way Society about his latest book 'The Art of Solitude' in which he offers some reflections and advice on how to deal with self-isolation during the corona virus emergency.

Coping with Solitude under Covid 19 Lockdown: Stephen Batchelor's advice

Our guest today is Stephen Batchelor, a patron of the MW Society, author and Buddhist scholar who's here to talk about his latest book 'The Art of Solitude'.

Stephen Batchelor on the Art of Solitude

Mark Austin

My guest today is Mark Austin who is an accredited teacher of 5Rhythms dance classes, which he runs regularly in the north of England. In the interview we explore the origins of the practice, what it is, how a typical session pans out and how it relates to the Middle Way.

Episode 151: Mark Austin on 5Rhythms

Adam Luecke

Our guest today is Adam Luecke PH. D who is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. His research focuses on multiple areas of social psychology, including prosocial behaviour and the benefits of mindfulness. He’s done a wide range of research  that suggests that mindfulness increases analytical thought, decreases just world beliefs,  reduces discrimination and implicit age and races bias. This research will be the topic of our discussion today.

Episode 150: Adam Luecke on mindfulness and analytical thought

David Robson

My guest today is David Robson, David is an award-winning science writer and editor, who specialises in writing in-depth articles probing the extremes of the human mind, body and behaviour. He was a features editor at New Scientist for five years and is currently a senior journalist at BBC Future. He regularly features on the BBC World Service discussing scientific issues, and his writing has also appeared in Guardian, the Atlantic and the Washington Post. His first book ‘The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Stupid Mistakes and How to Make Wiser Decisions was published earlier this year and this will be the topic of our discussion today

Episode 149: David Robson on the Intelligence Trap

Sally Kohn

Our guest today is Sally Kohn, who arguably  is one of the leading progressive voices in America. A frequent guest on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. Sally is a popular keynote speaker including most recently with the Forgiveness Project , talking about political division, hate, otherizing, diversity and identity — and how we can solve the deep problems of our past and present. Her first book 'The Opposite of Hate' came out last year and will be the topic of our discussion today.

Sally Kohn on the Opposite of Hate

We are joined today by the philosopher and founder of the Middle Way Society. Robert has been a regular guest on the podcast and is the author of a range of books on Middle Way Philosophy, both within and beyond Buddhism, including  The Christian Middle Way (Christian Alternative 2018). He has a PhD in Philosophy and a Cambridge BA in Oriental Studies and Theology. He has taught in many different contexts, and was formerly a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order. He’s here to talk to us about his latest book  The Buddha’s Middle Way (Equinox 2019).

We are joined today by the philosopher and founder of the Middle Way Society. Robert has been a regular guest on the podcast and is the author of a range of books on Middle Way Philosophy, both within and beyond Buddhism, including The Christian Middle Way (Christian Alternative 2018). He has a PhD in Philosophy and a Cambridge BA in Oriental Studies and Theology. He has taught in many different contexts, and was formerly a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order. He’s here to talk to us about his latest book The Buddha’s Middle Way (Equinox 2019).

Episode 147: Robert M Ellis on the Buddha's Middle Way

Barry has a wonderful, compassionate, engaging program.  One can conjure up many applications for his paradigm!

Jim Social Studies Teacher USA

The Middle Way Society

Sangharakshita is the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order and Community, previously known as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO). He is also the author of dozens of books and hundreds of lectures on Buddhism. Brought up in London, Sangharakshita spent 20 years in India, where he was ordained as a Buddhist monk, but then returned to the UK in the 1960’s to become one of the first figures to engage seriously with the need to interpret Buddhist practice for Western audiences. He has done so particularly through the use of practical concepts like integration, individuality, creativity and provisional belief.This wide-ranging conversation between Robert and Sangharakshita was recorded face-to-face in Sangharakshita's flat at Adhisthana, Herefordshire, UK. From about 1.45 to 7.40 Sangharakshita speaks unprompted about the Middle Way in his own life and the Buddha's, but after this the conversation is more interactive, including discussion of the Middle Way in relation to the Eightfold Path, the extremes of eternalism and nihilism, business decisions, and meditation. The Middle Way beyond Buddhism is discussed, in philosophy and Christianity, as well as the question of how much Buddhists have actually paid attention to it, and how far it has been important in Sangharakshita's approach to teaching Buddhism in the West.

Sangharakshita is the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order and Community, previously known as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO). He is also the author of dozens of books and hundreds of lectures on Buddhism. Brought up in London, Sangharakshita spent 20 years in India, where he was ordained as a Buddhist monk, but then returned to the UK in the 1960’s to become one of the first figures to engage seriously with the need to interpret Buddhist practice for Western audiences. He has done so particularly through the use of practical concepts like integration, individuality, creativity and provisional belief. This wide-ranging conversation between Robert and Sangharakshita was recorded face-to-face in Sangharakshita's flat at Adhisthana, Herefordshire, UK. From about 1.45 to 7.40 Sangharakshita speaks unprompted about the Middle Way in his own life and the Buddha's, but after this the conversation is more interactive, including discussion of the Middle Way in relation to the Eightfold Path, the extremes of eternalism and nihilism, business decisions, and meditation. The Middle Way beyond Buddhism is discussed, in philosophy and Christianity, as well as the question of how much Buddhists have actually paid attention to it, and how far it has been important in Sangharakshita's approach to teaching Buddhism in the West.

Sangharakshita on the Middle Way and Buddhism

Maryanne Wolf

My guest today is Maryanne Wolf. Maryanne is the John Dibiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service and Director of the Center for Reading and Language Research.  She is an expert on the neurological underpinnings of reading, language, and dyslexia. She is also the author of numerous scientific publications as well two books written for the general public ‘Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain’ which has been translated in 10 languages and her latest book ‘Reader Come Home:  The reading brain in a digital world which will be the topic of our discussion today.

Episode 143: Maryanne Wolf on the Reading Brain in a Digital World

Allan Frater

My guest today is Allan Frater, a psychotherapist and teacher at the  Psychosynthesis Trust in London.Psychosynthesis is a transpersonal or psychospiritual psychology, in  which the spiritual or soulful is integrated with the psychological.  It has its origins in the work of Dr Roberto Assagioli, an early  pioneer of psychoanalysis which he studied under Freud and as a  contemporary of Carl Jung. On returning to Italy, Assagioli went  beyond psychoanalysis in the formation of psychosynthesis, which  included influences from his life-long interest in eastern traditions  such as Buddhism, as well as the esoteric western traditions, such as  alchemy, Neo-Platonism and kabbalah.However, psychosynthesis was  presented as a secular psychology and an empirical science of human  subjectivity. The topic of our discussion today will be the origins,  aims and methods of psychosynthesis, as well the emphasis that Allan  has been developing in his teaching which he calls, ‘wild imagination’.

My guest today is Allan Frater, a psychotherapist and teacher at the Psychosynthesis Trust in London. Psychosynthesis is a transpersonal or psychospiritual psychology, in which the spiritual or soulful is integrated with the psychological. It has its origins in the work of Dr Roberto Assagioli, an early pioneer of psychoanalysis which he studied under Freud and as a contemporary of Carl Jung. On returning to Italy, Assagioli went beyond psychoanalysis in the formation of psychosynthesis, which included influences from his life-long interest in eastern traditions such as Buddhism, as well as the esoteric western traditions, such as alchemy, Neo-Platonism and kabbalah.However, psychosynthesis was presented as a secular psychology and an empirical science of human subjectivity. The topic of our discussion today will be the origins, aims and methods of psychosynthesis, as well the emphasis that Allan has been developing in his teaching which he calls, ‘wild imagination’.

Episode 138: Allan Frater on Psychosynthesis

Laura Bridgman

Our guest today is Laura Bridgman. Laura was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1995, and was resident at Amaravati and Chithurst monasteries in the UK for eighteen years until she moved out to live as a solitary nun in 2010. In 2015 Laura left the monastic tradition to pursue the Diamond Heart (Ridhwan) spiritual path alongside her Vipassana practice.  She has run several retreats over the last couple of years on the subject of  the ‘Inner Critic’ and this will be the topic of our discussion today.

Episode 139: Laura Bridgman on the Inner Critic and the Middle Way

Daniel Goleman

We are joined today by the internationally renowned psychologist, author and science journalist Daniel Goleman. For twelve years, he wrote for The New York Times, reporting on the brain and behavioural sciences. His 1995 book Emotional Intelligence was on The New York Times Best Seller list for a year-and-a-half as well as being a best-seller in many countries, and is in print worldwide in 40 languages. He’s the author of many other books on a wide array of topics including self-deception, creativity, transparency, meditation, social and emotional learning, ecoliteracy and the ecological crisis and he recently collaborated with the Dalai Lama on the book ‘A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama’s Vision for Humanity’. He’s here to talk to us today about his latest book which he co-wrote with his long –time friend and collaborator Richard J Davidson entitled ‘Altered Traits: Science Reveals how Meditation changes your Mind, Brain and Body.

Episode 132: Daniel Goleman on Altered Traits

Katherine Weare

Our guest today is Katherine Weare who is Emeritus Professor at the University of Exeter where she is working to develop and evaluate mindfulness in schools programs. Katherine is a dedicated mindfulness practitioner herself as well as a qualified mindfulness teacher. Her overall field is social and emotional learning and mental health and wellbeing in schools. She is known as an international expert on evidence-based practice and has conducted several definitive reviews and led programmes which have informed policy and practice in many countries. She is the author of several books including Promoting Mental, Emotional and Social Health: A Whole School Approach,  Developing the Emotionally Literate School and most recently Happy Teachers Change the World:  A Guide for Cultivating Mindfulness in Education which she co-wrote with Tich Nath Hanh and will be the topic of our discussion today

Episode 146: Katherine Weare on Happy Teachers Change the World

Jeremy Sherman

Our guest today is Jeremy Sherman. Jeremy is a decision theorist researching and writing about choice from the origin of life to everyday living. He teaches college courses across the social sciences and blogs for Psychology Today. He’s here to talk to us about his latest book Neither Ghost nor Manchine in which he distils for a general audience the theory developed by renowned neuroscientist Terrence Deacon that extends the breakthrough constraint-based insight that inspired evolutionary, information, and self-organization theory. He argues that emergent dynamics theory provides a testable hypothesis for how mattering arose from matter, function from physics, and means-to-ends behavior from cause-and-effect dynamics. In effect that what this offers, is a physics of purpose and can make science safe for value, We’ll also talk about how this all might relate to the Middle Way

Episode 142: Jeremy Sherman on the origin of striving

Ellen Bialystok

“We are joined today by Ellen Bialystok, a Canadian psychologist and professor who is one of the world’s leading experts on bilingualism and this will be the topic of our conversation.”

Interview 115: Ellen Bialystok on Bilingualism

Simon Bell

Our guest today is Simon Bell. Simon is a retired mental health nurse who spent 37 years working in the National Health Service in the U.K. For 22 years he dealt solely with suspects, defendants and offenders from the time of their arrest until the point when criminal proceedings took place. He dealt with most types of offending behavior and over the course of his career was involved in assessing and caring for several thousand offenders and victims of crime. His passion for history goes back to childhood; his passion for the Holocaust has its origins in being involved with the care of survivors of Nazi brutality whom he met during his early days in mental health car. He’s the author of 'Auschwitz-Birkenau - From Hell to Hope' and 'Tribalism and Prejudice - The Far-Right and Lessons From History which will be the topic of our discussion today.

Episode 144: Simon Bell on Tribalism and Prejudice

GEORGE MONBIOT

Today’s guest is the British environmental writer and political activist George Monbiot.  George writes a weekly column for The Guardian, and is the author of a number of books, including Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain (2000) and Feral: Searching for Enchantment on the Frontiers of Rewilding (2013). He will be discussing the topic of rewilding with the chair of the Middle Way Society, the philosopher Robert M Ellis.

Episode 145: George Monbiot on Rewilding

Our guest today is the philosopher Robert M Ellis. Robert is the creator of Middle Way Philosophy, a practical philosophy working out the implications of human uncertainty and embodiment for every aspect of our lives, and the founder of the Middle Way Society. He has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Lancaster and has earned a living as a teacher, lecturer and tutor. He's here to talk to us about his latest book The Christian Middle Way: The case against Christian Belief but for Christian Faith, published by Christian Alternative which comes out on the 27th July. He’ll also be running a weekend retreat on the Christian Middle Way from the 20th to the 22nd July which will give people an opportunity to explore its approach at the Brazier’s Park centre in the lovely Oxfordshire Countryside.

Our guest today is the philosopher Robert M Ellis. Robert is the creator of Middle Way Philosophy, a practical philosophy working out the implications of human uncertainty and embodiment for every aspect of our lives, and the founder of the Middle Way Society. He has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Lancaster and has earned a living as a teacher, lecturer and tutor. He's here to talk to us about his latest book The Christian Middle Way: The case against Christian Belief but for Christian Faith, published by Christian Alternative which comes out on the 27th July. He’ll also be running a weekend retreat on the Christian Middle Way from the 20th to the 22nd July which will give people an opportunity to explore its approach at the Brazier’s Park centre in the lovely Oxfordshire Countryside.

Interview 134: Robert M Ellis on the Christian Middle Way

Emma Byrne

We are joined today by  the scientist Emma Byrne. Emma normally specialises in the field of artificial intelligence, however she’s recently taken a different tack and is here to talk about her latest book entitled ‘Swearing is good for you’. Using peer reviewed science,  she argues that swearing is likely to have been one of the first forms of language that we developed and that  since then, it’s been helping us to deal with pain, work together, manage our emotions and improve our minds.

Episode 131: Emma Byrne on the Benefits of Swearing

Jeremy Lent

Our guest today is the author and integrator Jeremy Lent. Jeremy grew up in the UK but has spent most of his adult life in the US, where earlier in his career, he was the founder, chairman and CEO of the internet company NextCard..  His writings investigate the patterns of thought that have led civilization to its current crisis of sustainability. He is the founder of the non-profit Liology Institute, which is dedicated to a worldview that enables humanity to thrive sustainably. He is the author of Requiem of the ‘Human Soul’ and ‘The Patterning Instinct’ the latter of which will be the topic of our discussion.

Interview 133: Jeremy Lent on the Patterning Instinct

Keith Kahn-Harris

We are joined today by the writer, sociologist, lecture and music critic, Keith Kahn-Harris. His books include Judaism: All That Matters, Uncivil War: The Israel Conflict in the Jewish Community, Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge and his latest book Denial: The Unspeakable Truth and this will be the topic of our discussion today.

Episode 141: Keith Kahn-Harris on Denialism

We are joined today by the author and integrator Jeremy Lent and the chair of the Middle Way Society Robert M Ellis. Jeremy was a recent guest on the podcast when he spoke to us about his book “The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s search for Meaning”. Shortly afterwards Robert wrote a review of the book  and some of the themes and issues raised in that review will form the basis for our discussion today.

Episode 140: Jeremy Lent and Robert M Ellis discussing 'The Patterning Instinct'

Anthony McCann

We’re joined this week by the creative and versatile polymath Anthony McCann. As a keynote speaker, after-dinner speaker, consultant, coach, trainer, and facilitator, he inspires people to reimagine and redesign their relationships, working environments, and communities through a better understanding of proximity, power, and possibility in their lives.His work is based on 20 years of original research and teaching across the humanities and social sciences, and also of practitioner experience in leadership, community development, and performing arts. He’s here to talk to us today about ‘The Garaiocht Manifesto’ . More an invitation than a message. When it comes to professional life, trust your humanity. The Manifesto offers a human-scale and humane set of principles for sustaining the heart of being human in the art of being human in professional life.

We’re joined this week by the creative and versatile polymath Anthony McCann. As a keynote speaker, after-dinner speaker, consultant, coach, trainer, and facilitator, he inspires people to reimagine and redesign their relationships, working environments, and communities through a better understanding of proximity, power, and possibility in their lives. His work is based on 20 years of original research and teaching across the humanities and social sciences, and also of practitioner experience in leadership, community development, and performing arts. He’s here to talk to us today about ‘The Garaiocht Manifesto’ . More an invitation than a message. When it comes to professional life, trust your humanity. The Manifesto offers a human-scale and humane set of principles for sustaining the heart of being human in the art of being human in professional life.

Episode 135: Anthony McCann on the Garaiocht Manifesto

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